


Painful Death for the Lactose Intolerant

by Ayri



Series: Painful Death [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series), Thomas Sanders Shorts (Web Series)
Genre: Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Angst, Anxiety Disorder, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders Has Issues, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders Needs a Hug, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders is a Little Shit, Anxious Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Blackouts, Bullying, Caffeine Addiction, Chaotic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Child Abandonment, Child Neglect, Cults, Cussing, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders Needs a Hug, Deceit Sanders Has a Different Name, Deceit | Janus Sanders Has a Different Name, Deceit | Janus Sanders is a Sweetheart, Deceit | Janus Sanders is named Damien, Demisexual Sleep | Remy Sanders, Depression, Divorce, Dragons, Drinking to Cope, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Issues, Food, Genital Mentions, Good Deceit Sanders, Heterochromatic Dark Sides (Sanders Sides), Hurt Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Going to Hell, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Law-breaking, Literal Sleeping Together, Logic | Logan Sanders Has Issues, M/M, Marijuana, Memory Loss, Mental Health Issues, Minor Original Character(s), Morality | Patton Sanders is a Good Friend, Morality | Patton Sanders is a Sweetheart, Mystery, Other, Past Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Platonic Affection, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Protective Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Protective Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Recreational Drug Use, Religion, Schizophrenia, Self Confidence Issues, Sleep | Remy Sanders Needs a Hug, Sleep | Remy Sanders is a Little Shit, Spiders, Spiritual, Suicidal Thoughts, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders, Teenage Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Teenage Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Teenage Sleep | Remy Sanders, Teenagers, Underage Drinking, Underage Drug Use, Underage Smoking, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Unreliable Narrator, Violence Mentions, What Have I Done, death mentions, kidnapping mention, platonic anxietmus - Freeform, platonic dukexiety - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:00:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 68,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23408695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ayri/pseuds/Ayri
Summary: Virgil, Remus, and Remy are best friends and practically inseparable. They are also all absolutely the worst at coping with their objectively horrible home lives. So they get drunk and party hard as if their problems weren't real for a few glorious hours. Well, they did.But that was Before Remus and Virgil woke up one day in a small stone room wearing black robes and having no idea where they are, how they got there, or what day it even was. Now they've got to figure out how it all happened, what they forgot, and how they fit in with a cult, because they're sure as hell not leaving.  All they know for sure is while they'd rather not be ritualistically sacrificed, it'd still be better than high school.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Deceit Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Sleep | Remy Sanders, Platonic Anxietmus, Sleepxiety - Relationship, platonic Dukexiety
Series: Painful Death [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1687501
Comments: 317
Kudos: 221





	1. Remus  - The Best Idea

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, please read the tags and know what you're getting into because this story is a freaking journey. Please let me know if I forgot to tag anything. Please note that you're signing up for a wild ride and a bit of suspension of reality on top of all the potential trigger tags. If you don't like cults, please go ahead and skip this one. If you like weirdos having fun and being idiots, get the fuck over here.  
> And let's all agree to be nice about mental illness and paganism in the comments.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some really stellar conversation is had.

Remus leaned against the lockers while Virgil pushed his books back in for the end of the day with a heavy sigh. He sort of shoved them in, wrinkling any papers in their path while Remus smirked and popped his gum. Crumpling shitty work papers violently was such a mood and the sound was pretty satisfying. Remus just dropped his papers in the trash on the way out of class and regretted it now.

“Virgil,” A short kid with dark hair came up behind him, but Remus didn’t really see his face since it was buried in a textbook.

“Hm?” Virgil turned around and sighed again. “What’s up, Logan?” Oh yeah, Virge’s nerd friend.

“Did you need to borrow my notes to review for our exams tomorrow?” Logan asked. “You were struggling with the material in class today,” Virgil sighed again. If he kept up this pace, he was going to pass out. That would be pretty damn funny. Incapacitation by being morose was a vibe. If anybody could sigh themselves to death, it’d be Virgil.

“No, Logan,” Virgil said curtly and slammed his locker shut. “Thanks or whatever. I’ve got it. I don’t need help,” Virgil waved his hand dismissively. Logan slid a page in the textbook.

“I can e-mail you a copy, Virgil, it wouldn’t be any trouble,” Logan offered again. Wow, pushy. Why didn’t he get that Virgil didn’t want to think about it? Logan looked concerned and closed up the textbook.

“He said _no_ , nerdy wolverine,” Remus rolled his eyes and kicked the lockers behind him with the back of his heel to punctuate his dismissal.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Are you doing anything fun this weekend?” Virgil changed the subject, pushing at the things in his locker one last time before closing it up.

“Yes, if I come back with A’s on my midterms father will let me stay overnight at Patton’s. We will watch movies and order a pizza. I can ask Patton’s mother if you could join us,” Logan said brightly, looking excited.

“Sounds… like a party,” Virgil deadpanned, and Remus snickered. “I’m _good_ , buddy,” Virgil declined, shaking his head a little pityingly. Remus and Virgil did that basically every other night. What a poor, sad little nerd. Logan should come out with them instead. Remus shook his head and mentally poured one out for Logan’s assured eventual massive mental breakdown. Virgil hissed, and Remus looked up from Virgil and Logan’s height to his stupid brother’s face.

“What are you doing here?” Remus groaned, curling up his fists and making a face of distaste.

“Logan, I don’t know why you’re with these two _hooligans_ ,” Roman snarled. “But Patton wanted to ask you to save his seat on the bus. He’s held up talking to a teacher,” Roman said and flipped his hand in the air.

“You surely are _aware_ that I share a bus with Virgil, correct? You and Remus do not live in our neighborhood, but the rest of us take the same bus,” Logan reminded him, sounding a little annoyed.

“The nerd’s right. I live in a dumpster behind the Wendy’s. I think Ro’s a Mickey D’s dumpster,” Remus smirked and raised his eyebrow at Roman.

“You know perfectly well that I do not live in a _dumpster_ , Remus. Though, I can’t speak for _you_ ,” Roman spat, looking Remus up and down. “You came home last night, so it’s fair to assume I don’t have to tolerate your stupid face this evening?” Roman asked sourly. Virgil hissed at him, looking like he was about to take a swipe.

“You know, I think I’d rather not tolerate your stupid face now, Roman. I’m _happy_ to change it for you,” Virgil growled, holding up his painted black nails in a clawed shape to threaten him.

“You’re just mad you’re not as hot as _this_ ,” Roman huffed and motioned to himself smugly. Ugh. Annoying.

“I’ve got a torch lighter and kerosene, fuck face. I can make that package _even hotter_ ,” Virgil snarled with a malicious grin and Roman recoiled.

“Jesus. Logan, perhaps we should relocate to somewhere… less _murdery_ ,” Roman said, looking concerned and motioning vaguely to Virgil. He took Logan’s shoulders and started pulling him away.

“Roman, I am going to the same place as him. Virgil doesn’t actually mean he will set you aflame,” Logan objected as Roman literally dragged Logan off. “I can’t save Patton’s seat if you take me elsewhere!” Logan shot, but Roman kept pulling him away. Honestly, Virgil and Roman in the same room could have ended worse.

“What a drama queen,” Remus rolled his eyes and looked down at Virgil who was still very ruffled looking from his interaction with Roman. “Hey, he’s gone,” Remus placed a hand gently on Virgil’s shoulder.

“I _hate_ that asshole,” Virgil huffed and turned to the lockers. He smacked his head on it three times. A very satisfying noise rang out with each hit. Remus pulled back on Virgil’s shoulders and stopped him from hitting his head any more.

“There are more fun ways to get brain damage, V. Blunt force locker is boring. Just ignore him like they ignore me,” Remus offered and pulled Virgil into his side. Virgil huffed and pushed out of his arm. He wasn’t a fan of PDA as much as he appreciated the contact at home. Remus never cared about it, though. People have bigger things to make fun of him for. Being clingy with a friend would probably be the least insulting thing to be made fun of about.

“That’s the entire problem, other than being a smug asshole who always thinks he’s right,” Virgil growled and fumed, crossing his arms and slouching in on himself. Remus pulled him forward, and they started walking together towards the bus stops.

“Hey. Hey. V,” Remus poked Virgil in the side as he sauntered lazily through the hall, towards the big double doors that lead outside.

“What?” Virgil hissed, still sounding pissed off. It was all the more reason to remind him.

“We have tests tomorrow,” Remus stated expectantly, wiggling his eyebrows.

“ _Yeah_?” Virgil drawled contemptuously. Virgil must have had another bad day other than just having to put up with Roman. He had more bad days than good, lately. But they could turn that around tonight. Or at least forget about it. Virgil ran his hand through his purple hair in frustration.

“You know what that means,” Remus poked him in the side again with a wild grin, trying to remind him.

“Oh,” Virgil said, after processing for a moment. “Fuck yeah, I do. We get _absolutely faced_ , that’s what that means,” Virgil said excitedly, already sounding much less perturbed. Remus was glad to see him re-invigorated after talking with Roman drained him.

“You know it,” Remus shoved Virgil into the lockers as they passed and he laughed and shoved Remus back. Remus stumbled into another kid, and Virgil called out sorry and grabbed Remus’s arm to yank him away as the kid grumbled and sped up ahead of them. Whatever. Remus barely touched him.

“You have a change of clothes this time?” Virgil asked a little dourly again.

“Yeah, though I don’t think it matters anymore,” Remus groaned. He was pretty certain his parents would figure it out either way.

“I mean, the shit my parents buy is awful smelling,” Virgil commented, trying to sound off-hand but failing spectacularly. 

“Who cares? I’m the fuck-up son. I’ll be sweating it out anyway,” Remus said disdainfully and shoved the heavy metal door to the bus stops open.

“We’ll go swimming. My neighbor’s still on vacation, we can just jump the fence. You’ll smell like chlorine instead,” Virgil offered passively. Remus could kiss this crafty little fucker.

“That is the _best goddamn idea_ I’ve heard _all day_ ,” Remus’s grin returned, and he barked at a kid as they passed to Virgil’s bus line. Virgil quietly cackled when the kid jumped. He pressed himself against the wire fence and shrank into his faded black hoodie, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. Remus joined him against the fence, leaning back and looking up at the sheet metal overhang above their heads.

“Hey, you think we can find the roof access sometime? I’d love to get up there,” Remus mused, reverently eying the rooftop.

“I think there’s access in the hallway between the band hall and the theatre,” Virgil said, considering it. “I’m pretty certain I saw it when I went to go skip in the theatre changing room,”

“You’re shitting me,” Remus said, his eyes lighting up.

“I think it’s locked, dude. You’re gonna have to learn how to pick locks,” Virgil rolled his eyes, motioning vaguely to the rooftop.

“Oh, I can learn how to pick a fuckin’ lock. I just need to get a set of picks,” Remus smiled mischievously.

“Do you still have your parent’s credit card info? I think I saw a set on e-bay,” Virgil offered, sounding excited.

“Why the fuck are you always on e-bay?” Remus’s eyes dropped to the ground, kicking at some stray rocks with his boots. He kicked one into Virgil’s black high-tops.

“It’s just fun to look for stuff,” Virgil said with a shrug, kicking the rock back at him. “You’re always on fuckin’ Reddit,” Virgil added scornfully.

“I know you’re on those stupid cryptids and supernatural Reddit boards, you can’t _judge_ me,” Remus kicked the rock back.

“Well, you’d be on there still, too, if you didn’t keep suggesting monster fucking and got banned,” Virgil groaned and kicked the fence with the back of his shoe.

“Mothman is fucking _hot_ , okay? They’re the ones who can’t face the truth,” Remus barked back, amused. Virgil scoffed back at him but smirked quickly after a moment. He looked back down to the ground and frowned again, much too quickly. Remus would just have to hope that getting away from school and playing video games would cheer him up. The wave two busses finally pulled up and Virgil and Remus filed in.

Remus and Virgil plopped into the seat right behind the driver where they wouldn’t get caught doing whatever stupid shit they were up to, basically their regular spot. Virgil said he normally hissed at people so they wouldn’t sit with him when Remus wasn’t there, and Remus believed him. Virgil’s hissing was surprisingly effective, even if his bark had no bite. Remus had seen him hiss at people getting too close in the halls all the time. And it did just work on Roman. Maybe Remus should try hissing at people he’s annoyed with some time.

Virgil picked at his cuticles and wedged his feet between himself and the padded seat wall behind the driver. Remus watched in fascination as he pulled up a loose cuticle, and it started bleeding. Virgil noticed him staring and shoved him, but Remus caught himself on the seat before he went into the aisle.

“That’s fucking creepy, dude,” Virgil snarled, pulling his hand from view.

“Oh, bite me,” Remus said dismissively, leaning back against the uncomfortable seat.

“I _might_!” Virgil shot and shoved him again.

“And you couldn’t live with yourself if I ended up _liking it_ ,” Remus cackled and wiggled an eyebrow at Virgil.

“Ugh, gross,” Virgil grunted and shifted in the seat, pulling out his phone. “I’m turning on my music,” He said, pressing play and listening to the headphones hidden under his hoodie and hair. Virgil wasn’t comfortable in busses and usually just tried to space out. Remus huffed at being abandoned in favor of spacing out at the ugly brown vinyl in front of him but was used to this treatment. Remus stretched out his legs under the seat and pulled out his own headphones to listen to music, too. He’d be on Reddit if reading on the bus didn’t make him carsick.

The bus eventually lurched forward, and they were en route to Virgil’s neighborhood. Remus listened to something with more guttural utterances than words while he watched the buildings fly past Virgil’s fluffy bangs. He lived at some middle-class shindig built a long time ago. Enough for the trees in the yards to be massive and the houses would settle and get big cracks, but not anything terrible. Remus’s house was objectively bigger and nicer, but Remus’s house had people at it. People like Roman and his parents. Which made it worse. Virgil’s parents were basically never home, and when they were, they never paid any attention to him. It made it the perfect location for teenage debauchery.

Virgil bought junk food for eating, and they got drunk at least once a week. Since nobody cared what they were up to, they did basically whatever they wanted at long as the cops didn’t show up. There was an incident when they were in middle school. It involved a bastard sword and a snowman and the cops came, but they were minors and didn’t get in trouble. Nobody even took away Remus’s sweet medieval bastard sword from the ren faire. He was fortunate that it didn’t turn south, but Virgil’s little sad baby-face in middle school might have helped. The bulk of their time was probably video games or card games, but they still got into plenty of legally questionable (or objectionable) situations. Things like stealing signs and graffiti and plenty of breaking curfew while they wander the streets at 2 am. Virgil didn’t really come alive until the sunset.

Remus idly watched the vinyl seat backing shift and warp in front of him. Remus reached out to check, and it was still taught from Virgil’s feet pressing against it, but it moved in his vision nonetheless. Ugh, he must have been stressed about the midterms. All the more reason to get drunk as fuck tonight. Virgil and Remus were middling students, and they’d already done all they could do. They tried the studying thing, but Virgil just got too anxious and Remus was too antsy and couldn’t pay attention. So they got drunk. And it had been a tradition ever since. And they were falling behind. Which meant the obvious goal was to get even drunker than last Wednesday when they woke up on the roof at 6 am holding water guns in which Remus’s was full of piss. Virgil nearly killed him when Remus fired it at him and they discovered the contents.

They finally got to Virgil’s stop and Remus started standing before the bus even came to a full stop, antsy to get off the bus. Virgil lethargically stood up after him and Remus clambered out of the bus quickly. Remus was so happy to be out of there and that much closer to video games and microwave dinners that he kicked a yield sign. He relished the bar’s weird reverberation and kicked it again.

“Come on, fuck face, before you break your toes,” Virgil groaned, finally back with him in reality. Remus skipped down the street to Virgil’s house while he slowly strode with his hands shoved into his hoodie pockets and hood up, hiding from the sun.

Remus unlocked the door with the key copy he had gotten from Virgil and tumbled into the living room. He craved that sweet, sweet Mario Kart action. Remus nervously watched the screen bubbled while waiting for Virgil to get in. He really could be slow sometimes. Virgil came in two minutes later after Remus had already booted up the TV and game system. Virgil turned on the stereo, and Remus muted the TV. He picked some random metal album. The singer growled something about murdering people for dragon gods right off the bat, and Remus approved heavily.

“Nice,” Remus smiled and went to the kitchen to get some soda and chips. Virgil just smirked and climbed up on to the back of the couch.

“We should text cryptic messages to random phone numbers tonight. I want to see what we get,” Virgil suggested mischievously as he bent down to pick up the controller off the couch cushion.

“Can I turn _cryptic_ into _creepy_?” Remus smirked, passing Virgil a can of soda as he flopped down onto the top of the couch and grabbed his controller.

“I sort of assumed you were going to,” Virgil smirked back at him.

“Aw, you know me so well,” Remus cooed and grinned sinisterly at him.

“Shut up and eat my dust,” Virgil hissed facetiously and as they picked their karts, Virgil already focusing on the TV screen.

“Shut up and eat my _dick_ ,” Remus chimed right back at him.

“I will get the condom stick and beat you off of me if you take your pants off again,” Virgil growled.

“It was a _joke_ ,” Remus drawled and rolled his eyes. He was drunk and shouldn’t be held accountable for the stupid shit he did.

“I don’t want to see your filthy dick, dude,” Virgil grunted and launched a green shell at him. Remus wasn’t able to protect himself and was hit and then knocked off the track by Peach rounding the corner right as re recovered.

“Son of a bitch!” Remus bellowed. “I’m getting you back for that!” Virgil just cackled in response. Remus needed to get freaking serious if he would get revenge. Remus buckled down and focused on kicking some serious ass. 


	2. Remus - Mama Needs her Silly Juice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drunk children get drunker.

Remus slammed his empty glass of rum and coke down on Virgil’s kitchen table. Virgil emptied his glass right after him. When Virgil slammed down his glass after, it shook the pool of cards in front of them.

“Remus, that’s bullshit,” Virgil slurred. “You can’t fucking finish your drink for a waterfall,” He growled.

“You’ll find I absolutely can, good sir,” Remus chirped playfully at him.

“I got two fucking threes in a row and I totally didn’t give you all five shots with that last 5!” Virgil objected, throwing out his arms. 

“I’m playing to _win_ , I don’t know about you,” Remus grinned and got up shakily to get a refill.

“It’s a drinking game, Ream, you play to get _drunk_ , not to get your best friend to throw up,” Virgil groaned.

“Well, maybe that’s how _you_ play,” Remus bantered right back.

“God, I will fucking _kill someone_ for a grilled cheese right now,” Virgil slurred frenetically. “Just, like, _knife_ someone in the _spleen_ ,” He made a stabbing motion and dug in the imaginary knife.

“Holy shit, a grilled cheese would be _so fucking good_. So would stabbing a spleen,” Remus moaned. He dug around in the fridge for cheese while grabbing the liter of coke. Virgil got up and stumbled briefly to the breadbox. He slammed it open and tipped slightly.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Virgil groaned with an elongated drawl. “We didn’t buy fuckin’ bread,” He hissed.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Remus mirrored Virgil. “Let’s text Remy, maybe he’s got bread,” Remus suggested airily. 

“Dude, yes, of course! I love that guy! Let’s get that fucker over here! Why isn’t he here already?” Virgil cheered as he pulled out his phone and stabbed at it excitedly. He held up to his ear. “Remy,” Virgil drawled again. “Remily. Remy-bemy-bo-bemy,” He sang.

“What the fuck, are you drunk, Virgil?” Remy asked incredulously. Virgil must have accidentally set it to speakerphone. He didn’t acknowledge that fact, though.

“Remus is _cutthroat_ at Fubar, man, just an absolute bastard,” Virgil spat acridly.

“There is a mid-term tomorrow,” Remy groaned with heavy exasperation.

“That there is, my guy,” Virgil said cheerily and clicked his tongue.

“Are you studying, nerd?” Remus sneered.

“God no, babe, me? _Study_? Can I come over?” Remy said. “My dad’s out right now, as long as I’m back before sunrise he won’t miss me,” Remy added.

“Yeah, get the fuck over here!” Virgil shouted.

“Don’t shout into the speaker, ass-hat,” Remy grunted.

“Bring bread!” Remus chimed in.

“Yeah, bring some fucking bread! We are in, like, dire need of grilled cheese,” Virgil chirped and snapped his fingers. “And, like, a board game. I want to play a board game. Don’t you miss board games?” Virgil added absentmindedly.

“Yeah, that’s fine. Remus, babe, don’t let Virgil drink anything else until I get there,” Remy added.

“God, where are you? Where did you go?” Virgil asked desperately. “Why did you leave?” Virgil whined emphatically. 

“Hon, I wasn’t there earlier,” Remy sounded amused. 

“What? That’s not right, I _swear_ I heard you sassing me with Remus earlier,” Virgil accused him, pointing at nothing.

“That was my spirit haunting your ass,” Remy told him seriously.

“ _No way_ ,” Virgil whispered. “Were you a ghost all along?” He asked reverently.

“Yeah, _absolutely_ , babe,” Remy said sarcastically. “I _mean_ it, Remus, cut him off, I need to get on at least your level before he blacks out,”

“Oh, I’m a few drinks in,” Remus said cheerily.

“Fuck, I’ll be over in a few,” Remy said quickly and hung up.

“God, I love that guy, where did he say he was again?” Virgil said, sliding his phone back in the pocket of his skinny jeans.

“Limbo. He needs a new body to fuck up,” Remus chuckled. “Dude. Let’s play Just Dance,” Remus added after a pause.

“Oh, my _god_ , dude, are you trying to give me a concussion?” Virgil whined.

“It’s a pretty fun concussion,” Remus sang. “Let’s get some water in you first, sunshine,” He trilled.

“Ugh, fine, _mom_ ,” Virgil groaned and pulled out a cup for water. He flailed slightly and wobbled as he pulled it out of the cabinet. Oh, he would fall the fuck over and Remus would laugh so hard he pissed himself.

“Gotta pee, don’t die without me,” Remus said with a little wave and headed to the bathroom.

“No promises,” Virgil sang cheerily back at him. Remus rolled his eyes and headed to the restroom.

Virgil was sitting on the kitchen floor when he got back, eating pretzels by the handful and looking dazed.

“Oh my god, you were gone _forever_ ,” Virgil whined.

“I think Remy was right about cutting you off,” Remus laughed.

“You waterfall’d your whole fucking glass after my two fucking threes!” Virgil shot back sourly. “It’s entirely on you if I puke,” He added pointedly. 

“Kinky,” Remus barked with laughter.

“I will beat you off with the condom stick,” Virgil warned, holding up a pretzel menacingly at him. Remus sat on the floor next to him and took a giant handful of pretzels, shoving them in his mouth. He was so fucking hungry.

“I think I want hot pockets,” Virgil said airily. “Did we finish the hot pockets earlier?” He asked, lolling his head towards Remus.

“I don’t know, I wasn’t there for that,” Remus said, waving off Virgil’s question.

“I swear to god I watched you eat two of them,” Virgil said, wide-eyed. “Shit, how much of tonight was _real_?” He sounded surprised. 

“ _Nothing’s_ real,” Remus said with a nod. Virgil watched him like a baby deer and nodded back.

“ _Woah_ ,” Virgil intoned and fell back against the cabinet. Remus laughed when Virgil hit his head and grabbed another handful of pretzels.

—

“Gurl, how long have you been on the _floor_?” Remy asked, standing over them, placing something on the counter.

“How the hell did you get here so fast,” Remus slurred slightly, laying on the kitchen tile.

“It’s been like 30 minutes, what are you talking about?” Remy asked as he slightly kicked Remus, who was on the floor. “Did you keep drinking without me, babes?” Remy asked with annoyance.

“Scout’s honor,” Virgil said, holding up two fingers, then took that hand and did the sign of the cross. The absolute fucking mad man. Remus recoiled from Virgil’s hand motions mockingly.

“Remus, why are you covered in pretzels?” Remy stepped over him and went to the fridge.

“Why _am_ I covered in broken pretzels?” Remus asked curiously, looking at all the pretzel salt and pieces on his shirt.

“You took a pretzel shower,” Virgil said lackadaisically.

“Nice,” Remus nodded and sat up, pretzel crumbs falling everywhere.

“Not it,” Remy and Virgil both called at the same time. Remus grumbled and clambered over to get the broom, shaking off first.

“Fuck you guys,” Remus growled.

“It was your pretzel shower,” Remy said haughtily. “Virgil, get up here and play Fubar with me… but you’re on water shots. You’re both on water shots until I throw my arm and fall the fuck over,” Virgil and Remus both groaned at the same time, but Virgil got up and refilled his water obediently and sat at the table while Remus grumbled and swept up all the pretzel crumbs.

“Here’s your bread, by the way,” Remy said and shoved a partial loaf of bread in Virgil’s hands as he came back to the table with a drink.

“What’s this for?” Virgil asked, completely baffled.

“You guys said you direly needed grilled cheese,” Remy said, lolling his head to the side and looking at them like they were idiots. Fair.

“Oh my god, a grilled cheese sounds _so damn good_ ,” Virgil moaned.

“You’re both fucking hopeless,” Remy rolled his eyes, taking a sip from his newly made drink.

“You draw, Rem-emy-emy,” Virgil sang while he looped his fingers in the air.

“6. I never took a pretzel shower,” Remy chirped.

“I’m not even at the _table_ yet, you prick,” Remus grumbled, finishing cleaning up the pretzel bits all over the floor.

“Draw, babe, mama needs her silly juice,” Remy said, urging Virgil ahead.

“Three again? God, what is my luck tonight?” Virgil growled.

“It’s water, babe, chill out,” Remy rolled his eyes.

“That’s, like, not the point,” Virgil grumbled and dutifully took three long drinks.

“Five! And they all go to me!” Remy cheered, holding up a card and chugged. He exhaled when he finished and shook his head. “Woo!” He cheered and got up to make a new drink.

“Seven!” Virgil said excitedly. “Now you’re all my bitches,” Virgil smiled deviously and licked the back of the card, sticking it to his forehead. Remus plopped down at the table after putting the broom away.

“Four. What are you drinking, Remy?” Remus cooed.

“What aren’t I drinking, henny?” Remy chimed back.

“Did you see what he put in his cup?” Remus asked, looking to Virgil.

“What makes you think I saw?” Virgil asked back to Remus.

“Why do you gotta be so cagey about it, Remy?” Remus asked cheerily.

“Why you gotta be a bitch about it?” Remy said back, looking triumphant.

“What is this guy’s deal?” Remus asked Virgil, motioning with his thumb. Remy chuckled.

“Who was gonna make the grilled cheese?” Virgil asked Remus and spacily eyed the stove.

“Uh, _you_ bitch,” Remus said. Remus paused when he realized what he did. Fuck!

“Ha! Virgil tricked you!” Remy laughed brightly.

“I did what now?” Virgil asked, looking back from the wall and yawning, the stretching of his face causing the seven card to fall from his forehead.

“Oh my god, Virgil forgot what we were doing, and he _still_ tricked you,” Remy said, laughing even harder and gripping the table to stabilize himself.

“I’ma go make the grilled cheese, Remy can draw for me,” Virgil said, lifting his cup in the air to show he was taking it.

“Cool. I got ten,” Remy announced and took a long sip. Remus and Virgil threw back some water. “V, you got a six,” He added after drawing again. The sound of pans clattering echoed in the kitchen briefly.

“I never deep throated the condom stick,” Virgil said after a considerate pause.

“That was _a dare_ , that shouldn’t count!” Remus growled. Remy chuckled and took a drink.

“It counts, babe. Draw,” Remy smirked. Remus groaned. “Isn’t Virgil the drunkest? Should he be using the stove?” Remy asked after a minute.

“It was his idea in the first place,” Remus shrugged and pulled up a card. “Eight. Colors. Green,” Remus said.

“Purple,” Virgil chirped.

“Red. And colors are too easy, honey,” Remy added.

“Brown. Then flub it and take the drink,” Remus said with a smirk.

“Gurple,” Remy shrugged and took a long drink. “Queen, babes,” Remy smiled and took another drink. Virgil drank some water over at the stove. Remus could smell the butter sizzling and he was nearly drooling.

“God, I could just _eat_ a stick of butter,” Remus moaned.

“Yuck,” Virgil piped up from the stove.

“We could make ace into truth or dare and see if he’d really do it,” Remy smirked.

“Seconded,” Virgil said. Remus nodded enthusiastically.

“Hey, look, I drew an ace,” Remy said smarmily. “Virgil, would you kindly cut a hunk of butter for this fucking idiot?” Remy asked sweetly. Virgil laughed and cut off maybe a quarter of the stick and walked over with it balanced on the knife, then held it over Remus’s head. Remus opened his mouth wide, and Virgil dropped it in.

“Ugh, I’m gonna be sick,” Remy said. Remus happily chewed the melting butter stick. The gross texture was pretty fun.

“Dibs on your grilled cheese,” Virgil said happily.

“Bitch, I brought the bread!” Remy said, pulling up a card. “Virge, babe, you gotta two,” Virgil downed some water and Remus could start smelling the grilled cheese goodness. The butter and alcohol didn’t settle well together, but he could still eat a dozen of those little bitches.

“Five. All for Remy-henny,” Remus grinned, putting his head in his hands while he watched Remy finish his glass.

“Refill,” Remy smiled lazily, holding out his cup. Virgil snatched the cup away and went into the fridge for the soda and around the kitchen to the alcohol. He dramatically placed the cup in front of Remy with a grimace.

“ _Sir’s_ drink,” Virgil said sourly with a lazy curtsy. Remy chortled and Remus snickered as Virgil went back to the stove. “Can I drink again when I finish this cup? I’m making the grilled cheese, I deserve it,” Virgil whined.

“Sure, just mix your first one light,” Remy said airily. “I’m getting there,” Remy drew a card. “Oh, especially after this king!” Remy said with excitement. Virgil dropped back down at the table with a plate of grilled cheeses, and Remus hungrily reached for one of the three. Remy started drinking, though, and Remus had to pick up his drink and start chugging water. Remy didn’t stop until Remus and Virgil had empty glasses.

“ _Finally_ ,” Virgil groaned, shoving a giant bite of grilled cheese in his mouth and getting up to mix a drink. Remus ate his grilled cheese ravenously, and Virgil came back with two drinks, pushing one to Remus. Virgil took another big bite of the grilled cheese and drew a card.

“Social,” He said, swallowing and taking a big, lingering gulp of his drink as he flopped the 10 down on the table. Remus drank after he finished his grilled cheese. Remy was taking more reasonable bites and took a drink lazily. Remus dug around for a card, pulling out a nine.

“Rhym- oh _fuck_ you,” Remus said, seeing both Virgil and Remy’s thumbs on the table. “It’s not fair to do it while I’m distracted,”

“Oh, now you’re concerned about fairness,” Virgil laughed as Remus took a drink.

“Yellow,” Remus flipped Virgil off.

“Bellow,” Remy said and took another bite of grilled cheese.

“Fellow,” Virgil flipped Remus off in return, eating more grilled cheese.

“Mellow,” Remus continued.

“Fff-pellow,” Remy stumbled when he nearly repeated a word and laughed at himself, taking a drink and wobbling ever so slightly as he shifted to lean on the chair.

“There he is,” Remus laughed. Virgil chuckled and Remy smiled as he scanned the pile, pulled out a six.

“I never got shot with a piss-pistol,” Remy laughed airily and Virgil hissed.

“You told him!” Virgil shot to Remus.

“It’s fucking funny!” Remus defended himself. Virgil glared at him and took a drink, pulling out a card from the ever-messier pile.

“A jack, fuckface,” Virgil said derisively, leaning back. Remus drank happily along with Virgil. Remus dug around in the pile before pulling out one from under some others in the center.

“Ah, the ace. Virgil, I dare you to skinny dip with me,” Remus chortled. Virgil bristled.

“What, you fuckers didn’t say bring a swimsuit!” Remy groaned.

“You can always skinny dip with me,” Remus sang mockingly.

“Fine! No comments about anybody’s body and you’re wearing a fucking towel when you’re out of the pool you freaking nudist,” Virgil grumbled.

“That’s my boy!” Remus cheered. “We’re assholes but we’re not going to fucking body shame anybody, who do you take us for?” Remus slurred.

“Yeah, I’ll skinny dip with you nerds,” Remy said after a moment, taking a slow sip of water.

“Nice,” Virgil said with a smirk.

“Oh, you wanna see his dingus but not mine? Rude, Virgil, rude!” Remus said, mock offended. He kind of knew Virgil already had a thing for Remy, though he wasn’t sure Virgil knew yet.

“I don’t want to see _anybody’s_ dingus, you freak, it’s solidarity. How weird would it be to be the only one clothed in the pool? It’s like he was against us! But he’s saying he’s not by doing it with us,” Virgil said, flipping off Remus again.

“Fair,” Remus conceded.

“Exactly why I’m doing it, other than being drunk without a suit,” Remy said, holding up his cup. Virgil grinned and clinked his plastic cup with Remy’s, and they both took a sip.

“Woah, woah, gentlefolk, save it for the deck’s horrid will,” Remus said, motioning to the pile on the table.

“We’re drinking to accept the dare or whatever,” Virgil giggled slightly, putting his cup back down. Remy drew another card.


	3. Remus - Choices Were Made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some really stellar *chef's kiss* decisions were made

“Ream, if you get a splinter in your dick that’s totally all you, we’re not taking tweezers to your balls,” Virgil drawled bitterly while Remus scaled the fence naked. Remy was just laughing hysterically. Jumping the fence absolutely drunk was a great idea. Jumping it naked and drunk was an even better idea. They were just jealous they didn’t think of it.

“Yeah, last one there gets the piss-pistol turned on them,” Remus threatened playfully, wiggling an eyebrow.

“I cleaned that thing out with bleach, I didn’t save your freaking piss,” Virgil grunted as he hoisted himself up.

“Firs’ one over the fence refills the piss-tol,” Remy slurred slightly as he climbed up much more elegantly than Virgil, who had now fallen to the other side of the fence. Remy was a surprisingly graceful drunk, and it confused Remus every time. Remy said that sometimes Remus talked like he was still sober. Virgil was probably the only one who you could definitely tell was drunk at any given time, and it was obvious right now with how he wobbled.

“I’m not peeing in a plastic gun for you sick fucks,” Virgil snarled while he slowly got up, rubbing the elbow he landed on. Remy jumped down and only stumbled slightly while Remus carefully kept his boys away from the sharp fence. “Well, nevermind, I’ll fill it to get revenge on you then,” Virgil cackled evilly as he dropped his towel and started kicking off his shoes next to the pool. Remy dropped his towel next to Virgil’s as Remus finally cleared the fence and landed awesomely. Totally didn’t stumble and stab his palms on the fence. Ha, yeah he did. He dusted the grass off quickly and shot a sharp look to Virgil.

“Ugh, you hate me,” Remus groaned, chucking his towel in Virgil’s direction and taking a running start to jump in the pool. He landed in with a satisfying splash and quiet cheers from Remy and Virgil. “Get in fuck heads,” Remus prodded them. They were still stripping but Remus was feeling impatient.

“We’re obeying the ace, give us a minute,” Virgil mumbled as he slid out of his pants. Remy had already gotten stark naked and ran around the edge to cannonball next to Remus. The wave from the splash overtook Remus and he was knocked underwater. He came up hacking a bit, but it transformed into a laugh quickly. Virgil jumped in while Remus laughed. A splash fight quickly ensued until they were all possibly a little too close to throwing up with all the motion of the waves, so they floated about more gently and quietly for a while.

They chatted lazily on and off, but Remus struggled to follow the conversation. Things didn’t… look right. They were distracting him. They talked about school and Remy’s dad and had gotten more philosophical until Remus couldn’t follow it at all. He normally loved these kinds of conversations, but the trees were moving unnaturally. Virgil swam over and put a hand on his back from behind, helping ground him in the pool. Virgil was here. He tapped gently on Remus’s back and Remus swam to the edge to feel the bricks and look a little closer at the tree’s lower limbs that probably weren’t there. Virgil stuck behind him, still tapping out the tune to _Dragostea Din Tei_ of all things. He was probably picking something easy to identify. After a few very determined blinks, the extra limbs went away. Remus exhaled and went back to swimming around to help with some of his restless energy, while Virgil drifted back to the low end.

“The stars are bright tonight,” Remy mused, leaning back and slowly propelling himself around the pool.

“Means the dragon gods are hungry,” Virgil said seriously, swimming slowly in the shallow end of the pool, with only his head above water. He wasn’t moving much, unlike Remus kicked around the deep end happily.

“Then that demands a sacrifice. We should imbibe for the dragon gods,” Remus nodded sagely, stroking his chin.

“I brought the plastic bottle of rum, but no chasers,” Virgil offered with a shrug, pointing over to the edge of the pool towards the handle of rum.

“The dragon gods don’t need chasers, man, they need rum!” Remus cheered and propelled his way over to the pile of towels and clothes.

The bottle was already nearly killed. Maybe a quarter filled at this point. Remus wasn’t positive but he thought it was full at the beginning of the night. He couldn't actually remember when they started to drink.

“Y’think one bottle of rum is enough for the dragon gods? ‘Cuz I think between the three of us that’s doable,” Remus said, holding up the bottle to show them.

“No way, babes, I’m not that far from barf city, the dragon gods can just appreciate my beautiful countenance,” Remy leaned all the way back and floated up higher, posing lazily. Virgil turned a little red watching him.

“Then between the two of us, we are still capable of appeasing to the dragon gods!” Remus said, twisting off the top and pulling a drink. Remus capped it again and coughed from the shit alcohol burning his throat. He passed it to Virgil, who nodded solemnly and pulled above water enough to take a drink. He also made a valorous attempt, but gagged slightly and coughed just the same.

“Man, the dragon gods better appreciate this, this nine dollar piece of shit tastes awful,” Virgil coughed again and took another determined drink. He didn’t cough this time. “Actually, it’s not as bad the second time,” Virgil shrugged and passed it back to Remus. Virgil was giggling to himself as he flicked small amounts of water at Remus. Remus took another swig. It really wasn’t that bad the second time around.

“Ugh, don’t barf in the pool, gurls,” Remy groaned, kicking gently to propel himself around.

“’M drunk but, not, like, barf drunk,” Virgil nodded at Remy. “’M Fine. Gotta appease the dragon gods,” He slurred. 

“You guys are batshit, I love it,” Remy laughed. “God, I need a coffee, how long have we been in here?” Virgil pulled his hands out from under the water and examined them carefully.

“Not full raisin. Maybe an hour or two?” Virgil supposed, tapping his chin.

“Babes, hot coffee and pizza,” Remy sang temptingly.

“Holy shit,” Remus mumbled reverently. “Yes, you’re absolutely right,” He nodded excitedly.

“I always am,” Remy chimed, swimming over to the steps and walking confidently out of the pool towards his towel. Virgil basically drowned himself, trying not to watch. Remus laughed, yanking Virgil up from underwater and then passed him the bottle. Virgil nodded hastily and pulled another drink. Probably for the confidence to get out of the pool. He didn’t have any reason to be embarrassed. There was nothing wrong with being different. Virgil hated talking about it though, so Remus dropped it. Remus chuckled, walking to the edge and pulling himself out of the pool, drying off with his towel. Virgil faced away, doubtlessly beet red.

“It’s a dick, Virgil, you’ve seen them before,” Remus laughed as he tried to wring out his hair a little.

“And if the fates be not cruel, I shan’t see them again,” Virgil mumbled, bubbling up the water. Ah, yeah, that, too. Virgil would have to get over that himself. Remy finished drying off and slid on his jeans to jump the fence, but just held his white shirt and leather jacket, perhaps afraid of his hair getting them wet still. He slid on his shoes and hauled himself over the fence, a little less gracefully this time without the easy foothold of the fence support bars. They’d have to pull themselves up on a stack of firewood this time. Remy cleared it just fine, though.

“I’ll start the coffee, bitches, hurry up,” Remy called over the fence.

“Come on Vi-vi, get out, I’m gonna jump and give you your privacy,” Remus said and stumbled over to the woodpile. Remus tied the towel around his waist securely and leaped up onto the pile. It only shifted slightly and he managed to grab hold of the top of the fence and yank himself over. The tops of the fence hurt like shit on his soaked skin and he hissed as he quite literally tumbled into the yard. Remus heard Virgil pull himself out of the pool and waited back there for Virgil in case he needed help over.

The plastic bottle sailed over the fence unceremoniously and Virgil climbed over much more successfully than Remus managed, stepping down the fence posts on the other side. Virgil gathered the now very dirty bottle of Rum and nodded at Remus. They met eyes in the moonlight while Remus watched to make sure he was okay. Virgil’s heterochromia was never more obvious as his eyes shined from all the alcohol under the bright moon tonight. He had gray and blue, but in those shitty school fluorescents, they just looked gray. Remus had green and dark brown eyes, and he got shit for it all the time. Virgil was lucky to look so cool in a low-key way. Virgil must have been staring back at his eyes because he flushed and coughed, looking away.

“What, your eyes are pretty in the starlight!” Remus shot, rolling his eyes. What a dork. He’s cute, it’s not like Remus said anything weird for once.

“Yeah, yours are too,” Virgil mumbled quietly. “Sorry, drunk as fuck,” Virgil apologized pointlessly. Why would Remus care if Virgil liked his eyes?

“Yeah, I get it, they’re shiny, we’re drunk, whatever, let’s go eat pizza. There’s our obligatory drunk awkward exchange for the night,” Remus twisted his hand in the air dismissively. Virgil straightened up and started heading inside. Virgil rolled his eyes and chuckled, as he yanked open the back door.

“We’re not swimming anymore, Remus, put your pants back on,” Virgil groaned, side-eying Remus in his naked glory, slightly besmirched by a towel.

“I was gonna, you wet weasel, chill out,” Remus laughed.

“Babes!” Remy cheered as they entered the house. Remus could already smell the coffee machine going. “Oh, gurl, did you roll across the whole yard?” Remy said as he looked around the kitchen wall to the back door.

“He brought a change of clothes,” Virgil offered with a small shrug. “Wait, he’s naked, nevermind,” He giggled behind his hand.

“He needs to go back outside and shake off either way,” Remy smirked. Remus rolled his eyes and turned around, patting himself down and grumbling.

“You can’t besoil the altar of the dragon gods,” Virgil called out, and Remus nodded.

“Let’s put that album back on!” Remus called back. Virgil smirked and pivoted to the stereo in the living room.

“You bitches have been talking about an album this whole time? I thought you just were so drunk you changed religions!” Remy declared. Remus stepped inside and the album restarted.

“Have… we got so drunk we changed religions before?” Virgil asked tentatively, walking into the kitchen. He went to go rinse off the rum bottle in the sink.

“Twice. Virgil went Roman Catholic once. I have no idea where you got a rosary and even less idea where you learned that Hail Mary prayer. Do you have some secret catholic past we don’t know about?” Remy said, dramatically pouring himself a cup of coffee. Remus looked to Virgil in curiosity. Virgil just looked confused.

“Uh, no, my parents didn’t take to church,” Virgil said, scratching his head.

“Well, that’s fuckin’ weird, Virge,” Remus said. “I’m a little jealous! What was the other time?”

“That’s rich coming from you,” Virgil rolled his eyes and took another swig from the now clean bottle of rum.

“Remus was speaking in tongues and you swore to me he was praying, but I don’t think that was a language at all, so I have no idea what it was,” Remy said, pouring another cup. He slid it to Virgil, who immediately dumped rum into it.

“You’re magical, V, just magical,” Remy said and did a chef’s kiss motion. Virgil tried to drink the coffee, but it was too fresh and he burnt the shit out of his tongue, which caused Remus and Remy to laugh uproariously.

“Oh, fuck you guys,” Virgil groaned and put the coffee on the counter, heading to the freezer. “Pepperoni and sausage?” Virgil asked, his wet hair flopping around oddly as he bent over to dig in the freezer.

“That’s fine if you’ll eat my sausage,” Remy supplied. Remus laughed again.

“Hell yeah, Virgil will,” Remus barked. Virgil turned red and flipped Remus off while digging in the freezer.

“Oh, you like sausage, V?” Remy asked salaciously. Virgil groaned and slammed the freezer door shut, stumbling rather violently to the stove to put the pizza in.

“Remus, babe, take over for Virgil, he needs to sit and drink water,” Remy said, grabbing Virgil’s cup off the table and getting water for Virgil, while Virgil dropped the pizza on the counter and grumbled over to the table. “I brought that awful Barbie board game if you still want to play, V,” Remy added, and Virgil perked up at that.

“Oh, yes, I’m going to marry the best husband and leave you bitches in the dust,” Virgil whooped. Remus put the pizza in the oven, somewhat wobbly. But he managed to make it just okay, drunk as fuck or not.

“Bitch, you couldn’t woo a man if you tried,” Remy chuckled as Remus stumbled his way to the table. “Um, babe, I think you need some water, too,” Remy added, eying Remus.

“Eh, too lazy. Gonna fuck every Ken, I’m stealing all your men,” Remus grumbled, taking a pretty long drink from the very hot coffee Remy poured for him.

“Uh? That was hot as fuck, Ream,” Virgil said, watching Remus carefully, almost like he was going to set on fire.

“Thanks, gloom patrol, you’re hot too,” Remus winked and grabbed the Rum bottle, taking another swig. Virgil laughed. “Almost appeased the dragon gods,” Remus said, triumphantly shaking the bottle above him. Virgil cheered again, reaching for the bottle.

“Ah, yes, the part of the night where decisions were made and you’ll regret all of them,” Remy laughed, pouring some water.

“Not if we drink enough milk! Strong bones will protect us!” Virgil declared, getting up and pulling the milk out of the fridge. “Also, so I can drink this damn coffee!”

“Yup, bad decision Ville,” Remy chuckled.

—

“I’m serious, babes, I got to go!” Remy said. Remus shook his head. Shit, he lost the game. Looks like Virgil won. Remus reached out for the bottle of rum, but it was empty. They must have finished the bottle. That explained why he was dizzy as fuck.

“No,” Virgil whined. If you go, who will be the sacred milk barer?” Remus picked up his mug for a sip. Wow, that was empty, too. Ugh. Remus rubbed his face. That cup of water Remy was just (well probably not just anymore) pouring was here so he drank that.

“Make your own third cup, V, I gotta get back before sunrise. We’ve got midterms in like… five hours,” Remy said, shoving the pieces lazily back in the box. “Keep the last of the bread, though, I think y’all might need… like… a lot of toast for your hangovers,” He sounded amused as he smirked at them.

“You can’t push your extremist water agenda on me, sister,” Virgil grumbled tiredly.

“Are you still with us, Ream?” Remy asked, snapping in front of Remus’s face.

“Yup, just picking where to hide the bodies,” Remus chimed in. “We’ll walk you home,” He declared.

“Uh, yeah, y’all are the ones who are faced as fuck, maybe you shouldn’t be walking around outside,” Remy chided and rolled his eyes.

“Ugh, fine, we’ll walk you out ‘cuz I miss you,” Virgil conceded, latching on to Remy from behind while he finished putting away the board game. “Or instead you should stay and we could watch some shitty 90s movie,” He offered hopefully. 

“Babe, I love you, but I’m going home and you two should probably drink like three gallons of water and shower,” Remy rolled his eyes and turned around to hug Virgil back. Virgil held on tight for a moment and Remy chuckled and patted his head.

“Ugh!” Virgil groaned, letting go of Remy for him to start walking out.

The night air was amazing. Remus took a deep breath of chlorine-free cool spring air. Remy gave him a quick hug around his shoulders before walking away.

“Bye-bye, Remy, gory nightmares!” Remus said with a flippant wave as Remy walked down the driveway.

“It’s so nice out… it doesn’t smell like rum, let’s like, get some fresh air, yeah?” Virgil suggested to Remus.

“Don’t leave the block or you will never find your way home!” Remy called to them from the sidewalk. They watched Remy walk away for a moment.

“Like, goals, amirite?” Virgil smirked. “Love you, Remy!” Virgil called out after him as he headed down the street.

“Love you too, babe!” Remy waved without turning around.

“I think my true life’s aspiration was to be an evil fungus in the woods,” Remus said, scratching the back of his head. “Are there any woods nearby?”

“Uh, I think so?” Virgil replied, sounding uncertain. “I think there’s one behind the subdivision,” He added curiously, looking down the street.

“Let’s go, then. I want to lie on the forest floor and become one with the trees and get eaten by worms,” Remus said, pointing and marching down the street.

“And, like, attacked by a bear,” Virgil rolled his eyes, stuffing his hands in his hoodie pocket to follow.

“Bear mauling victims don’t have to take midterms,” Remus sang.

“Oh, shit, sign me up,” Virgil laughed, picking up his pace. 


	4. Remus - Where the Fuck Are We

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our idiot gremlins find themselves in a situation that they try to bullshit through.

Remus woke to a sharp hit in his side. He groaned and rolled over, holding up his middle finger to whoever had the fucking gall to wake him up. Another poke game and Remus grumbled, balling up against the poking. He didn't want to wake up, his head hurt. Another god damn poke came and Remus had enough.

“Go _away_ , Roman, I’m hungover,” Remus groaned, swatting around to knock off his brother.

“Ream, no it’s me,” Remus heard Virgil hiss. Virgil? “Where the fuck are we and why are in robes?” Virgil asked, in a panicked whisper, grabbing Remus’s shoulder and shaking it.

“What are you talking ab-” Remus groaned and sat up, opening his eyes to a dark room. They were sitting in a small room with two beds, a desk, and a stack of robes in a basket next to it.

“Is that… a silver candelabra?” Remus asked, pointing at the candlestick on the desk.

“Remus, I think whether or not that fucking candlestick _is silver_ is not on the top of our priorities right now,” Virgil snarled pointedly.

“If it’s solid silver we can kill a mother fucker with it, _clue style_ ,” Remus suggested, annoyed at the accusation that it was pointless.

“Okay, maybe finding a weapon is a priority,” Virgil groaned in concession. He got up and went to check the 3-candle candelabra. “It’s pretty hefty,” Virgil admired it, lifting it a few times to test the weight. “I’m not trained in fucking clue murder tactics, so I’ll let you take point man with this,” Virgil volunteered him, walking back over to Remus’s bed and handing him the candlestick. Remus nodded, appreciative of the acknowledgment for his capacity for murder. Remus sniffed the candelabra, curious about the material.

“It’s silver. This is some fancy shit,” Remus lifted it, impressed with the weight and quality of it. It really had some fine craftsmanship.

“Why do you know what silver smells like?” Virgil asked pointedly, sounding annoyed as he crossed his arms defensively.

“I could taste it to be sure,” Remus raised his eyebrows, sticking out his tongue and holding the candelabra close to his tongue.

“Let’s not lick the strange candlesticks and figure out what the fuck happened?” Virgil moaned, holding his head.

“I don’t know, I just remember walking Remy out,” Remus responded, rubbing his face. “You know I have memory problems, what do you remember?” He goaded tiredly. Virgil normally knew better than to ask those kinds of questions.

“Um, we got to the woods and I think we were… looking for dragon lines?” Virgil said, backing up to sit on the other bed. Remus checked around for some kind of dousing tool, but there was nothing on him.

“What were we dousing with?” Remus asked, not finding anything they could have used.

“I think sticks,” Virgil responded with a shrug, still looking panicked. He didn't sound super convinced himself. 

“Can you even _dowse_ with sticks?” Remus asked incredulously, looking over to Virgil.

“We were _drunk_ , Remus, I don’t think we cared,” Virgil rolled his eyes and huffed. “We were looking for a spot to get paranormal or something, I don’t really know. It’s kind of hazy. I remember being excited and I have no idea what happened after that,” He grumbled and rubbed his arm through the robe sleeve.

“Is being kidnapped enough of a reason to skip midterms?” Remus asked curiously, looking to the thick wood door. They were definitely missing those right now.

“Shit, it better be,” Virgil said, looking pissed, then shocked. “Oh fuck, Remy’s gonna tear us a _new one_ for wandering off drunk and getting kidnapped… by a cult or something? I mean we’re in black robes in a dark room. I don't know what else to call this. Assuming we’re not already soon to be ritual sacrifices, anyway,” Virgil rambled a little and rubbed his face angrily.

“I mean if there was any way to go, it’d be a ritual sacrifice,” Remus responded blithely shrugged. He always knew this day would come.

“That’s fair,” Virgil shrugged in return, looking agreeable. “If we’re not ritual sacrifices, though, and we’re in some cult now, that’s the fucking _dream_ though, right?” Virgil grinned manically, hopping on the spot.

“Yes, absolutely,” Remus nodded. Virgil totally got him. “I love you,” Remus smiled. Virgil flipped him off and looked around.

“I guess the easiest way to find out if we’re captives or not is checking if the door is locked,” Virgil said, standing up to go check the door. Virgil reached out tremulously and took a deep breath. He twisted the knob, and the door opened. Virgil shut it again quickly. “Uh, I guess we either joined a cult or… we puked all over ourselves and some kind strangers who only had robes for us to change into let us sleep in their spare strangely empty bedroom,”

“We’d have to go into the hall to find out,” Remus said nonchalantly as Virgil nervously leaned against the wall near the door.

“Or we could stay _here_!” Virgil blurted out his suggestion. “We don’t really know if there’s some _rule_ or something we’re breaking,” He wrung his hands nervously and looked around.

“Virge, are we not hungover from under-aged drinking and probably here because we broke curfew and trespassed?” Remus asked incredulously, pointing out how many laws they had already broken just in the last 24 hours alone.

“The dumb rules of the state aren’t as scary some cult that we woke up not remembering how we got here,” Virgil hissed in objection.

“Oh, _commendable_ courage, V,” Remus slow-clapped mockingly. Virgil glowered at him and flipped him off. Remus got up from where he was seated and headed to the door.

“Where are you going?” Virgil asked, concerned, and wringing his robe sleeve.

“Where do you _think_ , genius? Are you staying behind or coming with?” Remus asked, holding up the candelabra to show he had a weapon.

“Ugh, that’s how people die in horror movies. I’m staying with you, _colonel mustard_ ,” Virgil groaned bitterly, holding himself tightly as he walked up behind Remus.

“I love your reasoning,” Remus smirked and pulled open the door. It opened to a small hallway. There was sunlight shining through a stained glass window at the end of the hall and 3 other doors on either side. The rainbow reflections in the hall projected the diffused shadows of a tree outside. It smelled earthy and cool, with no signs of metal or rust or anything else nefarious. 

“Those are probably other rooms, right? I guess the one at the end of the hall?” Virgil whispered. “The stained glass is classy,” He added after a pause, relaxing for a millisecond while he admired the windows. Remus nodded in agreement as he stared at the colored lights dancing on the floor as the window ruffled the tree. He steeled himself once more and headed to the end of the hallway.

Virgil squeaked and recoiled when Remus yanked open the next door. More tinted light from stained glass windows poured into the hall. It looked like they were in a church. But a very, very old one. The stonework on the walls could use a pressure washing and the wood was a little odd-looking like it had been replaced. Remus scanned the room. There was a large font at the front, but otherwise no pews or churchy accouterments other than more silver candelabra. Virgil was squeezing Remus’s robes in the back, holding on tight as Remus stepped further in. There were two groups of other robed figures chatting and someone standing alone near the font, holding an old leather-bound book. His robes had golden accents, too. 

Remus walked towards him but was pulled back by Virgil. Remus rolled his eyes and propelled Virgil forward anyway, Virgil’s heels dragging across the stone floor. If they wanted answers, he’d probably be the guy. That was a religious leader if he'd ever seen one with the fancy stole and immaculate robes.

“Ah, glad to see you awake,” The tall man with shiny black curls smiled, sliding in a red ribbon into his place in the book. “Sometimes the ceremony requires longer recovery time. Of course, I had no concerns for you two,” He smiled, and it reached his hetero-chromatic eyes. One brown and one a bright golden hazel. Remus beamed back. He always liked finding another person with heterochromia, since it proved statistics were a filthy lie. 

“We are very powerful individuals,” Remus chimed in. Virgil smacked him in the back and looked around nervously.

“Virgil, you are looking somewhat… more disconcerted than usual,” He cooed, looking concerned.

“V’s always a little nervous in the light of day,” Remus said dismissively. Virgil nodded tamely.

“Indeed. Do not worry, Virgil, you will not be asked anything until the moon has returned. I’m sure with your lineage, you are both already recovered, but _officially_ you are to rest after the ceremony. The initiates have already started breakfast. You are welcome to join the others, but if it still disrupts your sight, you are welcome to eat in my quarters again,” He offered congenially. What a nice cult leader dude.

“Virge here’s a little disoriented by the day-star, could you direct him to the quarters again so he isn’t overwhelmed when I lead him?” Remus asked guilelessly. Virgil shot him a look, but the tall man just chuckled.

“It's not a problem. The map of the grounds I asked the initiates to draw up is finished and on my desk in my quarters,” He smiled kindly to Virgil. “Perhaps we can find a pair of dark sunglasses for you. Your sight is very important to us. Take the hallway to the right near the kitchen, take a left, at the end of the hall through the double doors. Your new quarters will be ready tonight, as well. I hope that alleviates your concerns,” The man said compassionately.

“It, um, does, yes,” Virgil mumbled, still partially hiding behind Remus. Remus grinned and moved to follow his nose to the kitchen. There was bacon. Remus could always find bacon.

“Hold on," The man stopped them and Remus and Virgil froze on the spot. “You can just leave the candelabra here. There will be a filled one in your new quarters tonight. I appreciate your diligence, however,” The man nodded to a table near him. “But you no longer have to do such paltry tasks,” Remus nodded back to him and put the candlestick down. It seemed pretty safe for now, and Remus could easily hunt down a new one if he needed it. Virgil flinched when Remus put it down but didn’t say anything.

Remus led them to the front of the room, past the other two groups, who whispered excitedly when they passed. Virgil shifted cautiously, watching the groups titter and twiddle about. Remus headed through the double doors down the front and down a short hallway that looked to be a recent addition with clean walls and modern windows.

The kitchen was just through another two doorways. Holy fuck it smelled amazing in the kitchen. Remus took a deep breath and salivated at the smells of bacon and eggs and fresh-baked bread. An excited mummer rippled through the people in the kitchen, dressed in brown robes instead of the black of everyone else’s they had passed.

“Oh! Oh! We’ll serve you! Give us a moment, please!” One of them piped up. He appeared to be roughly their age with light brown hair. He looked at them in awe for a moment before spinning around and bustling with the others. After a few moments, they span around with a tray of food, two glasses of orange juice, and two sets of wooden tableware. “Will, um, you be joining the others today?”

“Virgil’s sight is blocked,” Remus said plainly, repeating what the tall guy with fancy robes said. It was probably the best excuse possible.

“Thanks for the food, though,” Virgil mumbled behind Remus, waving slightly. 

“Oh, of course. I hope you enjoy it. I gave you extra bacon, Sir Remus,” He winked and shot finger guns at them. Remus fought the urge to pet the puppy man. 

“That was wise,” Remus replied sagely and nodded. He turned to follow the directions the tall man gave them to his quarters. There was another excited mummer behind them, but Remus pushed forward. The recent addition curved back into the older-looking parts of the church, and Remus headed through the dark walnut double doors.

The chamber was probably three times the size of the room they woke up in. There was a wood-framed four-poster bed, a big desk, and what looked like an attached bathroom. If this church was as old as parts looked, the plumbing must be a new addition. There was also a table with 4 chairs and a candelabra at it, though it didn’t need to be lit because this room was filled with more glowing stained glass, washing the room with golds, greens, reds, and purples.

“It’s pretty schwanky in here,” Remus mused while he walked to the table and set the tray down. Virgil finally let go of Remus’s robes and clambered around the table to sit down and shakily grabbed the OJ, sniffing it carefully.

“They seem to like us, V, I doubt it’s poisoned,” Remus said, picking it up and taking a large swig to settle Virgil down. “No stomach cramps or nothing,” Remus added after a moment. Virgil didn't look relieved in the least. 

“See, that’s the problem! Why do they all know us? Why… why are they talking like we’ve been here for longer than overnight?” Virgil asked in a panicked whisper. He had no idea why Virgil was whispering since they were alone in this big room. 

“I think we’ve probably been here a few days, V,” Remus shrugged and grabbed the tableware to eat. There was fresh bread, bacon, berries that also smelled fresh, and eggs with carrots and onions. “Boy, they really go all out with breakfasts here,” Remus grinned, enjoying some bacon. It was the best fucking bacon of his life. “Holy, shit Virge, you gotta eat this!” Remus said, picking up another piece of bacon and shoving it in Virgil’s mouth.

“Woah, this is amazing,” Virgil said reverently after a few hesitant chews. Virgil started eating more confidently now, picking up his tableware normally instead of holding it like weapons.

“So, they know us, they seem to really like us, and whatever ceremony we did required recovery time for most people… but I feel kind of great other than a headache?” Remus recalled, trying to figure out what was going on.

“You… think the ceremony wiped our memories, or that we got blackout drunk for multiple days and bullshitted our way into what I think is the upper ranks of a cult?” Virgil asked cautiously. “Because I genuinely don’t know which is worse,” He added after a pregnant pause.

“I don’t think it matters,” Remus shrugged, biting into the bread. The crust had a heavenly crunch. “We’re here, and if we were drunk, we couldn’t have bullshitted that well. You’re the worst fucking liar when you’re drunk and I’m honest to a fault. So it couldn’t have been that,” Remus mused. God, this butter. What the fuck. Remus didn’t think he had ever eaten food this good in this life, and he’s eaten some expensive shit.

“So, that dude said something about our lineage? Are we related or something? I don’t think there’s any way we are. I’m part Korean, and you’re part black. I don’t think there’s lots of crossover? My family’s only been here 4 generations,” Virgil suggested in a hushed tone.

“He’s also got heterochromia. If I _believed_ in statistics, it’s _crazy_ improbable we found another one. Maybe it’s something to do with that,” Remus offered, piling some eggs on his bread.

“Um… what is the cult even about, exactly?” Virgil asked. Hopefully rhetorically, since Remus was just as in the dark as Virgil on the situation.

“Hopefully somebody will tell us before we blow our cover. Or maybe we could just be honest and say we lost our memories after whatever that ritual was,” Remus suggested with a shrug.

“I… I don’t know if coming clean is the best idea. It kind of seems like we’re not initiates or whatever and I don’t want to get in trouble or anything for not knowing stuff they probably just taught us. We don’t know if this is some kind of murder cult or not,” Virgil whispered. Remus shrugged dismissively. He wasn’t so sure he cared if they got in trouble, but Virgil usually had a better survival instinct than Remus. Virgil got up and dug around on the desk for a moment. “They made me a map, right? Maybe there’re clues on it,” Virgil said and shifted around the papers until he pulled up something on thick cardstock and came back over to the table.

He put the map down between the two of them, just above the food tray. Remus took another bite and examined the map. It was well made, possibly hand-drawn. The re-purposed church layout was pretty well labeled. They woke up in the recovery quarters. Their new quarters were two doors over from this one, and the map showed it was nearly the size of this room, but a bit smaller.

“Oh thank goodness, we also get our own bathroom. I was really worried about that,” Virgil grumbled as his eyes darted across the map. He examined the map’s labels. He saw a few rooms labeled for ritual use or storage, but the map also showed roughly six or seven acres of grounds by Remus’s estimate. There was a farm, a barn, and multiple outdoor ritual areas. He also saw a stable somewhat near the church. That must have been how they got around.

“I read before that some cults have their own compound, so members never have to leave. I think this is one of those. I think this all might be handmade and grown by the cult,” Remus said, in awe.

“I mean I’d take _picking berries_ over the PSATS any day,” Virgil nodded in agreement. “But like, we’re now truant minors. Shouldn’t the cops be looking for us?”

“Uh, not if Roman thinks I’m staying with you and your parents never notice,” Remus said, somewhat sheepishly. “We’re the bad kids, I don’t know if people would notice if we’re gone,” It was kind of sour to admit, but it wasn’t any less true.

“Yeah... that’s fair. I guess I just like the idea that my parents would care enough to look,” Virgil grumbled back. Remus was keenly aware of how awful that was for Virgil to admit. He put his hand on Virgil’s shoulder, hoping to offer some consolation.

“I think they like us here. That guy gave us extra bacon. One of them might have had to slaughter a pig for it,” Remus grinned. “You think they’ll let me slaughter a pig? I always wanted to try,” He pondered airily. 

“Ugh, stop talking about that or you’ll put me off my food. I haven’t eaten anything home-made in years. Let me have this,” Virgil groaned sourly. Remus held up his hands to concede.

“Well, we’re not leaving, right? I think we can… keep having this,” Remus offered hesitantly. He wasn’t sure about Virgil’s opinion, but he sure didn’t want to go back. He was a little twitchy and looked very distracted.

“Go back to that bullshit? No way. Absolutely staying. We’ll just… have to figure it out. We made it this far. Possibly drunk. We can do that,” Virgil said firmly. Remus smirked wildly.

“Hey, hey Virge,” He prodded Virgil in the side. 

“What?” Virgil drawled, sounding kind of annoyed and glared at Remus.

“We joined a cult,” Remus snickered happily, stabbing at his breakfast. 

“Fuck yeah we did,” Virgil smirked, looking every bit as pleased as Remus felt for the first time today. 


	5. Remus - Fuck Yeah

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil and Remus hunt for clues.

A timid knocking came at the double doors of the large quarters of… possibly a cult leader. Virgil shot up and looked nervous. But Remus had this. They had somehow already established that terrible-liar Virgil was basically useless in the day, so Remus could just be the confident asshole he really was.

“Come in,” Remus called.

“This isn’t _our room_ ,” Virgil hissed quietly. Remus just shrugged. One of the browned robed people stepped in and bowed slightly. This one looked older than them with black hair.

“I’ve come to get your tray. Lord Damien will be back shortly if you needed to convene, but if Sir Virgil needs directing somewhere to alleviate the fog, I can be of assistance.”

“I think a stroll would be a pleasant way to recover, Virgil, don’t you?” Remus asked airily. Virgil looked at Remus curiously before going wide-eyed and nodding.

“Of course. Is the map satisfactory for Sir Virgil’s needs?” The initiate asked carefully.

“Yes, it is good enough. It could use more dragons, though,” Remus said haughtily.

“Please return it to me after you are settled and I will see to it,” He offered quickly.

“Nice,” Remus nodded, a little surprised that was something they were going to change on Remus’s whim. Virgil rolled his eyes as he shifted out of the chair, clinging back on to Remus as he got up. They let the initiate pass by and gather the tray as they headed out into the hall. Virgil clung tightly to the map.

“The exit is back near that main hall thing we saw… Lord Damien in,” Virgil whispered over Remus’s shoulder and Remus walked with his head high down the halls. Others in robes smiled as they passed and even got a few thumbs up.

“Sir Virgil! Sir Remus! How is your recovery from the ceremony?” A man with bright eyes and brown straight hair walked up to them as they exited the hall. He was in black robes instead of the initiate brown. Remus wondered if there was some kind of color code other than black and brown. Some of them had sigils, but there wasn’t any indication of what they meant.

“I am fan-fucking-tastic. Virgil is struggling in the daylight, so we are getting some fresh air,” Remus offered lazily.

“I see. The fire chamber is still lit from the ceremony last night if Virgil requires the other elements. The longest it’s ever burned after a ritual,” The man said in awe.

“Absolutely,” Remus said. Hell yeah, he would go to a goddamn fire chamber, how badass is that?

“Did… are you feeling… well? The milk. Are you…” The man seemed to dance around the point.

“Please, you are hurting Virgil’s sight,” Remus groaned. The man bristled and stood straighter.

“I’m so sorry! Dragons protect and mend you,” The man bowed. “My recovery from the ceremony was somewhat harrowing. Is... It already completed for you?”

“Yes. I’m sure you’ve heard of our lineage,” Remus said airily, waving his hand. Virgil clenched Remus’s robe tighter behind him. The other men in black robes nearby looked awed.

“Both of you?” He asked carefully.

“Of course. Virgil’s has always been unnerved in the daytime,” Remus waved away his concern again. Virgil hissed at the man who backed off. “Sometimes things can be overwhelming for him. I recommend you keep your space,” Remus laughed.

“We are headed out for our tasks soon, but I wanted to let you know that we have already started making the special batch of mead Virgil requested for his sight. We have many batches of mead until then, of course, but the special blend for your sights is infusing. I hope they are strengthened by the ceremony. We have been waiting for a long time for your coming,” The man bowed slightly and scampered off. Remus turned to look at Virgil, who was slightly baffled, but also kind of excited.

“Dude, we get mead _and_ home-cooked meals,” Virgil whispered. “We should have gotten blackout drunk and wandered in the woods ages ago,” Remus continued to look regal until the hall cleared.

“Fuck yeah,” Remus nodded proudly. “Best decision we ever made. Remy had no idea what he was talking about.”

“Shit, Remy’s gotta be going spare,” Virgil whispered, looking ill.

“It wouldn’t be the first time we skipped school for a few days,” Remus offered in consolation.

“Yeah, but I don’t think we’re going back, you know? I’m honestly not sure anybody knows we’re back here. Like, any of us,” Virgil whispered. “I don’t want Remy to freak out. We gotta find our phones so we can tell him we’re okay. Ask him to come, maybe,”

“Sure. Assuming we get a signal here. This place looks ancient,” Remus said.

“Fuck, you’re right. We might not. There’s not even electricity out here,” Virgil hissed.

“It’s fine, we’ll figure it out. Let’s go look for clues,” Remus consoled Virgil again. This was probably the best thing to ever happen to either of them. Now that Remus didn’t have to go home and be an unwanted fuck up or compared to his brother, and didn’t need to go to school anymore, he didn’t feel like he had a care in the world. Virgil would settle down in the evening like he always does. Hopefully. Remus honestly would rather have Remy here, too. But he didn’t have any plans that made sense.

The front hall had a massive, intricate wood carving of a dragon with small gemstones inlaid. It was absolutely beautiful. Remus circled it carefully, looking at all the details. He wanted to make something like this. It would be so cool. Even Virgil let go and looped around it.

“Wow, you think they’d let me draw this? It’s like… amazing,” Virgil said in awe, reaching out to trace his finger along the edge of a large opal tooth.

“I’m asking for a chunk of wood and knives, I want to make one,” Remus said confidently.

“Yeah, for sure,” Virgil kept staring at the big gemstones in the eyes. “I mean it’s not like we can play video games,”

“We’ll ask after we check out these elemental things marked outside. I’ve gotta see this big ceremonial fire thing for sure,” Remus said, reaching for Virgil and pulling him away.

“Yeah, you’re right. Sorry, that thing is mesmerizing,” Virgil mumbled and reached back out for the back of Remus’s robe, holding tight as he walked next to Remus out of the building. Virgil hissed and hid behind his hand at the sun. The sunlight was dazzling, a clear day with a warm sun and a nice breeze. Other than Virgil possibly getting a sunburn, it seemed like the perfect day to be outside. And now he could that he didn’t have all these expectations on him. Virgil let go briefly and pulled up his hood and pulled it down as far as it would go over his head to protect himself from the sun.

“I hope that Lord Damien guy finds you some sunglasses. It’s killer out here,” Remus pat Virgil gently on the shoulders. “Which way to the fire one?” Virgil lifted the map and squinted in the bright light. “Um, it’s near the stables but more south, according to the map,” Virgil scanned the area ahead of them and blanched, letting go of Remus’s robes and walking forward. “What?” Remus asked.

Virgil walked up to a giant circular decorative planter with flowers and succulents. There was a pillar in the center with sticks tied to it.

“What’s with the sticks?” Remus asked curiously, walking closer.

“T-those are the ones I last remember holding. You know, to look for the dragon lines?” Virgil stuttered.

“We’re either the luckiest people on the planet or you can actually dowse with sticks,” Remus laughed. Some more robed men exited the building behind them and bowed slightly as they passed, headed out to what looked like the direction of the farmland.

“You think we’re on dragon lines out here?” Virgil asked curiously.

“I mean, it’s clearly a dragon cult, right? We have to be,” Remus said self-assuredly.

“Does that mean dragon lines are real?” Virgil asked after a pause.

“ _You’re_ the paranormal expert here, I got kicked from the Reddit, remember?” Remus sneered.

“Shit, do you know what this means?” Virgil breathed, sounding awed. 

“What? Crazy shit is _real_? It’s too late for that particular revelation,” Remus groaned, a little annoyed with Virgil's rhetorical questions by now.

“We got drunk and changed religions again,” Virgil responded humorously. Remus stared at Virgil for a moment and they both laughed. Remus wasn’t sure if it was irony or serendipity, but he knew it was hilarious.

“Come on, show me to the freaking fire room already,” Remus said, grabbing Virgil’s robe and pulling him away from the weird stick shrine. Virgil scanned the horizon again and headed towards a wood building with a low slanted roof.

“That’s gotta be the stable, right? It’s south of there. We’ll just look for any structures visible from the stable. I don’t exactly have a compass on me,” Virgil said, grabbing back on to the back of Remus’s robes and steering him from behind. Virgil seemed happy to hide behind Remus, and Remus was happy to be the one to protect him. All they needed was a little creativity to keep at it, and Remus was happy to provide and be the leader. Plus, they were out here all alone in some clearing in the woods. Remus was pretty certain he could get away with murder. And that idea always fascinated him, even if he knew better. He just enjoyed being in a situation where he had the power. He wasn’t sure, but he could probably tell one of those brown-robed guys to stab themselves and they’d do it.

They walked up to the stable, and Virgil slightly ran into Remus when he stopped to look around. It was definitely a stable, Remus could smell the horse shit and hay pretty easily. One of the brown-robed ones ran up to them as they looked around.

“Ah! Sir Remus! Sir Virgil! Greetings. Sir Remus, I hope I do not need to remind you to not enter the stables. The horses are likely still afraid of you, if not worsened by your recent imbibing on the sacred milk,” He said cheerily. “Lord Damien said it may take some time for your odd aura that scared the horses to settle. You can use the bikes at the sanctuary if you wish to travel further out into the compound,” He offered. Ooh, bikes. Remus wished they grabbed some earlier. This stroll is turning into a trek.

“Can… can I go in?” Virgil asked tremulously.

“Of course, Sir Virgil, Shadow Bender seems to really like you,” He nodded motioning for Virgil to go inside. Virgil hesitated and gripped Remus’s robe. Possibly considering his options.

“No, I… um, never mind,” Virgil mumbled.

“Virgil is staying with me at the moment while he gets his barrings,” Remus announced. He wasn’t sure the initiate heard Virgil’s quiet response.

“Yes, thank you. I hope Sir Virgil’s sight clears. Is… your sight clear?” He asked carefully.

“We are visiting the ritual sites to try to clear it up,” Remus said confidently.

“Oh, the sacred fire is still burning bright. I was on fire duty before breakfast. It really is a sight to behold,” He smiled and bowed slightly. “I must return to tending the horses,” He went inside the barn.

“I wonder what they expect us to see,” Virgil wondered warily.

“I’m not sure yet. May as well give it a shot. The new religion and all,” Remus nodded and walked past the barn, eying the structures ahead. One had billowing smoke coming from it, so it seemed the obvious choice. “Let’s look at the magic fucking fire,” Virgil nodded and walked ahead with Remus, still holding tight to his robes. “I’m starting to wonder if maybe you are discombobulated in the day for real,” Remus mused. “I mean, you never seem to have any energy until after we get home, and you’re skittish until the sun goes away,” He pointed out blithely. 

“Thought that was my shit sleep schedule,” Virgil mumbled dismissively. “I’m a night owl. We can’t all be morning people like you,” He hissed in displeasure.

“Listen, we said it for a reason when we couldn’t remember when we got drunk and switched religions. Either we lying our faces off, or something during our apparently very quick initiation made sense to us,” Remus explained shortly. 

“Right, we joined the cult, may as well follow through. I don’t know though, this all seems really far-fetched,” Virgil mumbled.

“You believe in bigfoot,” Remus stated critically.

“I’ve never seen a fucking dragon, I’ve seen pictures of bigfoot,” Virgil groaned.

“Well, we’ve both got some kind of sight according to them, they keep asking about it. You think it’s seeing stuff or future sight or what?” Remus asked curiously.

“I don’t know. Maybe both? I’m glad it’s a dragon cult and not like some weird messiah one. I mean they seem to defer to that Lord Damien guy, but he was pretty approachable for a cult leader and let us in his room unsupervised. Those scam messiah ones I’ve seen always have some holier-than-thou fucker who stole money to use on himself,” Virgil said. “He seems… pretty chill, honestly,” Virgil added after a moment.

“Yeah, and I don’t think he’s that much older than us. Once we figure out what the fuck this sight thing is, and maybe the stuff we forgot, we should see if he wants to hang out. Convene. Whatever,” Remus said.

“Has anything… jump-started any memories for you yet?” Virgil asked carefully.

“Whole lotta _nothin_ ’. My brain still thinks I’m supposed to be taking exams right now,” Remus said.

“I think I… I don’t know, but I got a weird feeling from the sticks. But we were supposed to be at the ritual fire last night. Maybe it’ll look familiar,” Virgil said quietly. Remus didn’t see anyone around to be quiet for, but Virgil did have a sixth sense for people near him. They approached the large stone structure. It looked like it mostly encased the fire, but there was no glass in any of the windows or a door. A man with black robes was sitting on a boulder right inside the door.

“Holy shit,” Remus cooed reverently when his eyes landed on the flames. 


	6. Remy - AWOL

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How exactly become a mom friend and how can he stop?

\- Day 1 Missing -

Remy looked up at the clock, seeing the first bell about to ring in a moment. Virgil and Remus hadn’t met him before school like they normally did. Remy liked to nap at a picnic table under the tree, but it was raining today, so he sat in the junior classes hall against the lockers. He caught a quick snooze on the bus but was relying on his thermos full of coffee at this point. He figured they’d be hungover as fuck and in a bad mood, but not completely absent. It was the midterms. They would need a doctor’s note to make it up. They wouldn’t take an automatic fail on the midterms. They weren’t that dumb.

Maybe that hungover. Maybe they were going to get a ride in later. Remy didn’t share his first class with him, but he did have second period AP English with them. He’d probably see them then. Remus could have called his parents to get them a ride in maybe. Maybe Virgil’s dad came home. Remy had texted them both with no response, but the noise would have woke them up. Remus keeps his phone on blaring with the most obnoxious ring tones.

Ugh, Remy was too tired to worry about this. He took another long swig of delicious, life-giving coffee and got up to head into his history class. English was the only class they had good grades in. There’s no way they’d both abandon that. Their GPA would tank with an F in AP English. Remy was too young to be a teen mom. He rolled his eyes and drank some more coffee. He’d just have to see the next period.

-

Goddamnit, those fuckers aren’t here. It’s AP English. It’s 10 minutes from starting. Remy angrily called Remus’s phone. He hated having to use his phone as a phone. Remus’s phone went straight to voicemail. Maybe Remus’s phone died? Remy tried Virgil. Also straight to voicemail. Virgil would never let his phone die, even drunk. It was practically his anxiety lifeline. This was fucked. He called Roman. Maybe he knew. Remus would tell his brother, right? Of course he wouldn’t. _Shit_. Roman actually answered now that he realized it was pointless. He was too tired for this.

“Um, yeah Rem? I’m about to take a Chemistry exam, so be quick,” Roman said.

“Babe, you think I’m not about to take an exam? Tell me you know where your brother is. His ass isn’t in his seat right now, and he’s not so stupid to miss an exam,” Remy said, deeply annoyed.

“He left school with Virgil yesterday. Other than a few texts insulting me at like 8 pm I haven’t heard from him,” Roman said. “I’m not like, his keeper. Maybe he is that dumb,”

“He’s so not that dumb,” Remy growled defensively. “Did you ever think that perhaps you’re just an asshole and your parents constantly berating him doesn’t help?”

“I’m not an asshole, that’s just how brothers are,” Roman responded even more defensively.

“Yeah, rubbing his face in it is totally nice and brotherly, you know he _fucking tries_ ,” Remy snarled.

“Language, Mr. Cesrâler!” The teacher called over to Remy. He rolled his eyes.

“Sorry,” Remy grunted back at the teacher. “Just text me if you see him. His phone and Virgil’s phone are both off and they kind of had a lot of…. Fruit punch last night,”

“Of course he did,” Roman drawled derisively. Remy just hung up on him. What a fucking jerk. Remy tried to focus on the exam. If they wouldn’t show up for English, they won’t show up for any class today. There was no point in trying to figure out if they’re okay any longer. He thought some fresh air might sober them but, but he should have made those idiots go back inside and lock them in Virgil’s bedroom somehow. But Remy warned them to make good choices, damnit. This wasn’t his fault. He needed to stop feeling guilty and gear up for kicking ass in this class.

-

He was gonna kick their ass. They missed the whole fucking day. They were probably still at Virgil’s. Where else would they go? Remus practically lived here half the time and just used the school bus to get between houses. He had his own toothbrush. Remy got off 3 stops early at Virgil’s house and marched down the street. He hoped they were ready for some raised voices with their hangovers because Remy was gonna let all that catty bitch he’d had to pent up all day at an unreasonable volume.

Remy knocked loudly on the door with no response. Maybe they were still sleeping? He rang the doorbell a few times. Um. Remy tried the door handle on a gut feeling. It opened. Oh god. They didn’t come back home after the walk. The fucking idiots didn’t even lock the door. Remy went inside to see if everything was okay.

The house was empty. There were still cups left out on the table from last night that Remy cleaned up but otherwise was pretty normal. Remy dug around on the couch. Remus normally threw his keys when he got to Virgil’s. Remy found them, very regretfully. Maybe they just forgot to lock up and went to bed? Remy went down the thin hall to Virgil’s room. Empty, goddamnit. The bed was even made. Remy rubbed his face. Son of a bitch.

Remy locked up with Remus’s keys after leaving. Remy didn’t find Virgil’s anywhere, so he probably still had them. This way when they made it back from… wherever they were, they’d have to talk to Remy. Remy hated having to be the mom friend with those two idiots. Remy lived for a party, and they knew how to party. Remy just wanted to party and see his best friends. When the three were at a house party, they were untouchable. Nobody would fuck with them and they didn’t have to worry about spiked drinks, because Virgil wore that drug checking nail polish. Remy wants to have fun with them, damnit, not make sure their asses made it to exams. Remy growled and walked home.

\- Day 2 Missing -

Remy slammed his locker closed in frustration. How could they still not be back? Did they run away? It didn’t seem likely without telling Remy. They talked all the time. Remy couldn’t be out of the house as much as Remus without getting in trouble, but they always at least hung out at school and they were very close. Virgil even visited him between classes if they were close to each other. It was really weird to not see them for the second day in a row. He couldn’t even catch some extra sleep out under the tree. What the fuck were they doing?

“Remington?” A voice asked from behind Remy and he jumped, spinning around to smack the person right behind them in the face.

“Personal space, babe!” He shouted angrily.

“Was that _really necessary_?” A short boy with black hair and sharp glasses grunted, rubbing his face. Oh, it was Logan. Whoops. Well, he deserved it.

“Oh, sorry babe, I don’t like people sneaking up on me,” Remy apologized, though half-heartedly. He really did hate people sneaking up on him.

“I did not intend to. I did not see Virgil in Chemistry yesterday for his midterm. I was wondering if you knew if he was ill,” Logan said, still very curtly. Well, Remy did hit him in the face. But, like, rude.

“I don’t know, Virgil and Remus are missing,” Remy groaned.

“What do you mean by missing?” Logan asked, raising an eyebrow.

“ _Gone_. I don’t think they ever got back home before the exams. Phones are off. I have no idea where they went,” Remy said flippantly, waving his hand and taking a very stressed drink of coffee.

“Would you mind if I reviewed the evidence?” Logan asked thoughtfully.

“Bitch, what are you talking about?” Remy drawled and put his hand on his hip.

“Would you tell me how you reached that conclusion,” Logan clarified, adjusting his glasses.

“I watched them go on a walk at 3 am in the opposite direction from me. After they missed the exams, I went to go yell at them and the house was empty and still unlocked. I even found Remus’s keys in the couch,” Remy said, bitterly pulling Remus’s keys out of his back pocket and jingling them. “And Roman hasn’t seen Remus or he would have texted me. They have nowhere else to go, ergo, missing. I didn’t check their house this morning, but they certainly haven’t responded to my calls or texts either,” Remy explained in frustration and shoves Remus’s keys back in his pocket angrily.

“I am not allowed out, but I have 2 hours before my father comes home to notice. Would you mind pointing me to the direction they went?” Logan said calmly.

“I mean, fine. I’m going to their house again after school to see if they made it home, anyway. You’re two stops after me, right?” Remy asked, rubbing his head.

“Yes. You have a surprising memory for someone who sleeps through their classes,” Logan said bluntly.

“I learn through _osmosis_ ,” Remy groaned. Fucking rude. “I’m going to go sleep through History. Bye, bitch,” Remy waved and walked off in a huff.

-

Remy and Logan walked into the empty house again after school. Remy felt like it was pointless, but he went to go check the bedroom. Bed still made. Bedside charger still there. No new clothes in the basket. Remy sighed and went to go make some coffee in the kitchen. Logan wanted to poke around.

“Hey twerp, are you ready to go yet? Aren’t you on a time limit?” Remy asked, pouring himself a to-go cup in the kitchen. Logan was digging in the garbage like a weirdo.

“Was this involved?” Logan asked, holding up the empty plastic jug of rum with a pencil.

“Don’t go through people’s _garbage_ , nerd, that’s creepy. Yes. They both had over a third of it and a lot of coffee,” Remy dug through the fridge for any perishables but didn’t find any at risk. He grabbed the milk for his coffee and sighed as he poured some in. He put it away and dumped a hefty spoon of sugar in his cup and stirred. Logan put the jug back in the recycling.

“I see. That is pertinent information. Virgil has expressed… general disdain for life in the past. Has Remus shown any signs of suicidal ideation?” Logan asked, probably way too bluntly for such a sensitive question.

“Woah, woah, nerd, they’re _not_ suicidal,” Remy stopped him right there, holding up his hands.

“I did not say that. I said suicidal _ideation_ ,” Logan insisted. “Wishing to disappear or die conveniently and increased risk-taking behaviors,”

“Then yes, absolutely, they joke about dying all the time and they jumped off the roof last reek,” Remy said. “That’s pretty normal teen boy stuff, though,” Remy added dismissively after a curious look from Logan.

“No, it is _not_. It is unhealthy. It also affects where they would go at 3 am. If they were regular drunk teen boys, they would likely go somewhere to acquire a specific snack, like the gas station, or perhaps go trespass in a park to play on the playground. If they had poor mental health, they may make more dangerous choices, like walking near the highway, getting into a stranger’s car, or perhaps even going to the woods nearby,” Logan said.

“Shit,” Remy hissed. “They… they might have done any of those. Remus gives _zero fucks_ and Virgil would go with him even if he didn’t want to. Virgil hates being alone. But Virgil would probably stop them from getting into a stranger’s car…” Remy trailed off. Where were they?

“Yes, alcohol and Remus’s predilection to give ‘ _zero fucks_ ’-” God, Remy could hear the quotation marks. “-makes their behavior potentially more erratic and hard to predict. Were they hungry?”

“No, we ate two pizzas between the three of us maybe an hour before they left,” Remy offered. “So maybe not snacks, then. Virgil’s house is mostly packed with junk food, anyway. His parents eat out mostly. Virgil gets money every other weekend for groceries and they take Remus’s shared car to go buy them,” Remy said. Remy couldn’t go out while his dad was home, but sometimes he got to go with.

“17-year-old drivers cannot drive with another teenager in the car,” Logan said immediately.

“Logan, we were drinking last night, do you think they give a shit about that?” Remy said impatiently. Logan adjusted his glasses with an annoyed look on his face. “If they didn’t head towards the highway, they went deeper into the neighborhood. There’s a park out that way with trees to hide in if the cops show up. Maybe they went there?” Remy offered.

“I am familiar with the park. It has been 36 hours. It is extremely unlikely they would still be there. They would need to acquire food,” Logan said firmly.

“I’m extremely aware, Logan! Why do you think I’m freaking out that they haven’t even come home to eat?” Remy said bitterly. “I will show you the direction they walked and I’m going home. We’re kids. They won’t believe me if I report it to the cops. If they were taken, there’s nothing I could do but snark at the abductors, anyway. You have my number, still, right? You don’t normally respond,” Remy asked and Logan nodded. “Just text me if there're any clues. Video chat me or whatever if you want to confirm something is theirs. I’m going to go home and take a nap, I can’t take this mothering any more. They’re resourceful. I’m just going to assume they’re fucking around somewhere and weren’t nice enough to tell me,” Remy groaned and sipped his coffee.

“You’re going to consume a _whole cup_ of coffee and _nap_?” Logan asked incredulously.

“Come on, get out of the house so I can lock up, asshole,” Remy groaned and motioned for Logan to get out. Logan nodded and walked ahead of him to leave. 


	7. Logan - Clue Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan looks for clues.

Remington was extremely rude about how he relayed the information, but he did point his middle finger in the direction they walked. Down and across the street. This direction could imply the park. Logan checked his wristwatch and quickly paced down the street. The park was a reasonable first step, but it would not be a reasonable place to stay for 36 hours. There were bathrooms there, which was probably a priority after imbibing alcohol. He would check the park for possible clues, perhaps new graffiti or abandoned personal items. Logan hoped he would not see signs of a struggle or tire tracks veering out of the lot. But he didn’t have the time to search further today if he found anything.

The park was active at this time of day, full of children playing with older siblings and parents watching nearby. Logan turned into the woods at the entrance to see if there were any signs of camping out there. It looked mostly untouched, other than a dead spot in the grass. They could not cause that kind of decay overnight. After a circuit around the park for clues, Logan had to start his trek home before being caught outside of the house without permission.

Virgil’s disappearance was worrisome. Logan knew that Virgil and Remus were close, but it seemed odd for Virgil to take a risk like that. He was normally very cautious and triple-checked his answers. He made dark jokes often, but was concerned about even getting a paper cut. Though, there was a decline in Virgil’s mood recently. His joking had tapered off and he would get frustrated at problems easier.

Logan mostly got to see Virgil at school due to his restrictions on leaving the house. If one of Virgil’s parents would ever agree to meet Logan’s father, then they could visit each other up until dinnertime, but Virgil’s parents had refused multiple times. Virgil said that since the cheating started when he was 12, they were not often home and came home less often after the divorce paperwork was brought out. Virgil was fed, clothed, and healthy, but Logan didn’t think it was safe to leave a teenager alone so long. And it wasn’t, in the end. Virgil had gone missing. Remington was right in that Virgil was resourceful and careful. Remus had also been very protective and knew plenty of obscure survival knowledge. They were a very good duo, and if they stayed together, the odds were they would be able to get out of a situation that wasn’t dire.

He also found it worrisome that Remus’s family didn’t seem concerned either. Remus’s parents were very active in Roman’s life. Logan was closer friends with Roman than Remus, and their parents showed up to his plays with flowers and would drive him to school sometimes. Roman admitted that sometimes they’re around so much it’s embarrassing. Patton would often spend time in Roman’s house and they would make ‘dad jokes’ at one another. Remus often complained of only being scolded around them. Logan pulled out his phone.

‘Patton, would you mind if I came over?’ He texted him.

‘go ahead!!!’ Patton responded. Logan sent his father a text letting him know he would be at the Kwamoyo’s house until dinner. Patton’s mother was willing to meet Logan’s father. Logan turned to head to Patton’s house. He needed to talk this out with someone that wasn’t going to make fun of him as Remington did. Logan couldn’t understand how someone careful and sensitive got along with someone as brash and unapologetic as Remington. Perhaps Virgil and Remy’s interactions outside of school were different. Virgil was mostly shy in school.

-

“So, Virgil’s gone missing,” Logan stated as he sat down on Patton’s couch.

“What?!” Patton shouted, clearly upset. “My baby boy? Where did he go?” Patton asked, deeply concerned and flailing his arms dramatically.

“Well, please see the definition of missing Patton,” Logan deadpanned, sighing.

“You know what I mean, silly! Do you know what happened? I thought he just got sick! He’s been acting tired lately,” Patton said, sitting down next to him with a bag of chips.

“He wandered off at 3 am with Remus yesterday,” Logan explained plainly, straightening his shirt.

“Well, at least he’s with someone. I’m not a big fan of that Remus fellow, I think he’s a terrible influence on my boy, even if he likes my cookies,” Patton grumbled, crossing his arms and slouching against the couch.

“Patton, you barely interact with Virgil,” Logan replied with exasperation, motioning between Patton and a nonexistent Virgil.

“Because of that Remus boy!” Patton shot accusatorily, glowering at nothing in particular.

“I’m positive it’s because Roman and Virgil are at each other’s proverbial necks every time they interact,” Logan sighed out his frustration. This wasn’t the first time they’ve had this conversation. Patton wanted to be friends with Virgil for some reason.

“Because of that _Remus boy_ , get with the program,” Patton insisted, tapping with one finger on the couch to punctuate his words.

“Patton, please, Virgil and Remus have been missing for 36 hours or so. I am trying to figure out where they might have gone,” Logan rubbed where his glasses meet his nose.

“Oh, right, sorry Lo,” Patton apologized sheepishly, curling his shoulders in embarrassment.

“Roman confided in me that Remy insulted him and claimed that Roman was rude to Remus. He also agrees with Remy’s claim that his parents put undue pressure on him. Virgil’s parents have not paid attention to him in years. There is a chance that after consuming lots of alcohol last night they chose to run away,” Logan said seriously.

“Oh no! Where would they run away to?” Patton pouted morosely. “Wait, they got drunk?” Patton looked confused, pulling his lip to the side.

“Yes. Remy confirmed that their mental health was struggling, and they were partaking in risky activities,” Logan said with a small nod.

“Oh, my poor sweet boy! Why didn’t he say anything?” Patton pouted, his eyes shining with sorrow. He slumped around the couch.

“Virgil is shy around new people,” Logan offered in explanation with a small shrug. Why Patton expected Virgil to tell him anything was still beyond Logan's perception.

“I’ve known him since we started high school!” Patton objected, sitting up straight and pouting angrily. He really could be mercurial.

“And you have had one class together and don’t talk outside of school. Do you even have his number, Patton?” Logan rubbed his face again. Patton was very distractible from the subject at hand.

“No,” Patton admitted sheepishly after a pause.

“So let’s agree that perhaps you are not close enough for those types of interactions. Even though you proclaimed him to be your child, the first week you met him,” Logan sighed, drooping his shoulders and motioning with his hand.

“Well, he likes my jokes,” Patton mumbled indignantly. “Okay. So, do you have any clues?” Patton asked, finally on task.

“I have the direction they went in. It goes further in the neighborhood. I have checked the park for any signs that two teenage boys might have slept there. There was no such thing. Though, considering the house was empty of parents, I do not know why they would not just sleep at home and leave in the morning if they intended to run away. Remy claimed that nothing in the house had changed at all since he left. I am extremely perplexed. I would not feel the need to run away from a house that is well stocked with junk food with parental supervision,” Logan pondered out loud, rubbing his chin curiously.

“Maybe he doesn’t feel safe at home?” Patton theorized, sounding concerned.

“He felt safe enough to drink alcohol with Remus and Remington all evening. They had finished an entire bottle and ate two pizzas. I would not consider that to be the behavior of someone who feels unsafe,” Logan rebutted, shaking his head.

“Two pizzas? Aw, I’m jealous,” Patton said, pulling his lip to the side.. “At least they ate a lot before going away,” He shrugged a little with a defeated expression.

“Remus has… a surprising knowledge of outdoor survival methods,” Logan reminded himself. “I do not know why. But perhaps in their inebriated state, they chose to enter the woods,” Logan tapped his chin.

“Aren’t there bears out there?” Patton asked nervously.

“Possibly, but coyotes are much more likely this close to civilization,” Logan offered in solace.

“I don’t think coyotes are much better,” Patton looked a little shocked and furrowed his eyebrows.

“I suppose you are right. Do you know anything else about the effects of drinking? I have not imbibed,” Logan asked curiously, looking for more information.

“Um, mom said it’s different for everybody. It makes your feelings more intense, you get stupid and make impulsive choices, and, um, different alcohols can affect the mood,” Patton rattled off uneasily.

“It was rum,” Logan informed him, hoping Patton had some insight.

“Well, rum is supposed to make you ‘fun’ drunk. Mom says it’s not the worst, but rum-drunk people are usually in the hospital for doing something really stupid or partying too hard,” Patton explained.

“So they got… ‘fun’ drunk. What is ‘fun’ to two depressed people in the woods?” Logan asked curiously.

“Flowers, maybe? Well, it was nighttime. Maybe not. Maybe they wanted to dance like nobody was watching,” Patton said and shimmied slightly on the couch. “Mom says rum-drunk people sometimes dance in the waiting room,” He smiled slightly at the idea and shimmied on the spot.

“Nobody was watching at home, Patton,” Logan grumbled. “I just can’t comprehend why they felt the need to leave. Remy claimed they jumped off a roof last week. No parent would let them do that. They were clearly unsupervised,” Logan explained bitterly.

“They jumped off a _roof_?” Patton asked, wide-eyed and gripping the couch.

“If Remington is to be believed. I can confirm that Virgil has gotten more withdrawn in the last few weeks. He likely has been acting out with Remus at home. Roman reports that Remus is there for roughly half the week recently, and has come home after school hungover,” Logan stated. “Admittedly, Remington spends significantly more time with Virgil than I, so he has a better idea of Virgil’s emotional state,” He added somewhat bitterly. He would like to spend more time with Virgil, honestly. Patton and Roman were very high energy, while Logan and Virgil had similar tastes in books, which was rare to find in his contemporaries.

“Why don’t we ask him if there’s anything they were talking about that night? Maybe it was one of those things where he just got obsessed with an idea. Roman says that happens to Remus sometimes,” Patton suggested.

“Yes, I think more information would be helpful,” Logan agreed and pulled out his phone. He pressed on Remington’s contact number on his cell and held it out after putting it on speaker. Patton held up both of his thumbs encouragingly. Remington answered after three rings, and Logan put the call on speaker.

“You better have a good reason for waking me up from my nap and making me use my phone as a phone, babe,” Remington grumbled sourly. “Did you find anything?” There was an obvious hopefulness to his tone that made Logan wish he had better news.

“No. I am having trouble comprehending their motivations. We hoped that perhaps you could shed some light on the conversation that night. Roman says sometimes Remus gets obsessed with a subject that he might have pursued,” Logan clarified.

“Ugh, if I knew their motivations, don’t you think I would have told you or looked into it myself?” Remington groaned. A loud sipping noise crackled through the speaker. “What, what do you mean, ‘we’?” Remington added.

“I am here with Patton,” Logan stated.

“Hi, Remy!” Patton chirped.

“Hey, babe. I’m glad you found a _mom friend_ for this. I’m more of a _wine aunt_ ,” Remy drawled lazily.

“Remy, I can’t believe you were drinking,” Patton chided him.

“I’ve drunk texted you like a million times,” Remington said incredulously. “I get drunk with Virge and Ream all the time. _Whoop de doo_. Can we discuss my missing friends now?” Remington added bitterly, putting emphasis on his despair. Patton huffed and crossed his arms.

“Yes. Were there any subjects that Remus kept bringing up?” Logan asked, glaring at Patton for getting off track.

“They both kept talking about dragons. It wasn’t just Remus. It’s why they finished that bottle. To ‘appease the dragon gods’ or whatever. I stopped drinking after we went skinny dipping,” Remington explained, sounding tired.

“What? You went skinny dipping!?” Patton shouted even more incredulously than Remington was a moment ago. Logan shot Patton a glare, but Patton didn’t seem to notice his ire.

“Bitch, you’re on my headphones and I’m a little hungover, don’t fuckin’ scream,” Remington groaned. Logan quickly pressed mute before Patton screeched again because of the cussing. He started rambling about inappropriateness and Remington’s attitude. “Yes, we went skinny dipping, like that’s at all weird,” Remington drawled from the speaker while Patton went on. Logan waited for Patton’s rant to subside before un-muting his microphone. “Babes?” Remington asked when there was no response for a moment.

“Sorry, Patton was enraged for a moment,” Logan explained after he unmuted the microphone.

“You muted me?” Patton asked angrily, pouting at Logan.

“We are calling to ask Remington for help, not to incriminate or lecture him,” Logan said firmly.

“Oh. Right,” Patton chuckled nervously, slumping back.

“Thank you, babe, remind me to buy you a coffee,” Remington said. Patton picked up the chips and started eating them hotly. Logan rolled his eyes and turned up the volume slightly to hear over the crunching.

“I am curious where you went swimming, though. Virgil does not have a pool. Perhaps he returned there,” Logan suggested.

“His neighbors do. I think they’re supposed to come back to town today, so I don’t think they went back. Virgil’s one house rule is ‘no cops’,” Remington supplied. Virgil was on a crime streak, it seemed. “V wanted to watch a 90s movie with me?” Remington added uncertainly. “I can’t think of anything else they were harping on,” Patton grumbled angrily. Logan ignored him for now.

“What did you do that evening?” Logan asked. “Can I have a list of the things you did chronologically, and any pertinent subjects brought up?” Logan expanded his question for increased clarity.

“God, kid, you sound like an essay. Sneak out and get drunk with us when we find them,” Remington suggested derisively.

“He will not!” Patton shot angrily.

“Yeah, _thanks_ mom,” The sarcasm in Remy’s voice was nearly palpable. “They called me over after they had already started. They wanted grilled cheese and had no bread. They were already really drunk. Like, slurring kind of wasted. Virgil said it was a new tradition to get drunk before exams. It helped him freak out less so he could make them easier. I think the hangover might help Remus focus on the exam. He didn’t say anything about it, he played that dancing game aggressively and didn’t notice us talking. Anyway, after I got there, we played fubar until I got drunk enough, then played that dancing game like I said,” Remy’s recounting of the events was somewhat roundabout, but Logan was able to follow.

“Wait, fubar?” Logan asked curiously.

“It’s a drinking game. It stands for Fucked-Up-Beyond-All-Reason. It’s how to get faced real fast on alcohol you’d rather not be drinking,” Remington explained. Patton made plenty of scandalized noises that Logan shook his head at.

“Continue,” Logan told Remington.

“Right, so we played the dancing game for a while. Then Mario Kart. Then we played a little more Fubar when we went from drunk to tipsy to keep the night going. Remus had dared Virgil to go skinny dipping with him earlier in the night, so Virgil needed to be sufficiently trashed since he’s all shy and shit. I totally caught him looking at my butt. I’m glad he appreciates beauty even that drunk,” Remington said a little wistfully.

“I said pertinent information, Remington,” Logan interrupted him. Patton squeaked slightly.

“Babe, I pick what’s ‘ _pertinent_ ’, and my _pert_ butt is,” Patton tittered at the pun, even though he was blushing slightly. “We chatted about, like, whatever in the pool for a while. I was pretty drunk and don’t remember. That’s when they said the dragons wanted them to finish the rum or something. You know that religious libations thing? They were drinking it straight at that point. The dragon thing I think was a metal album they were listening to before I came over. But I’m not positive. It wouldn’t be the first time they switched religions while drunk. They put the album back on when we came back from the pool to have coffee and pizza,” Remington regaled and Logan was curious about the album.

“Do you know the name of the album?” Logan asked.

“No, it’s some indie shit V listens to. I doubt it’s even online. He sneaks out to shows with Remus when they have the car on Friday nights. They don’t have IDs, so I have no clue how they get in. Metal’s not my scene. Maybe that Metal bar downtown has an easy to jump fence or something. If they just put X’s on their hands with a sharpie, it’ll look like they came through the bouncer,” Remy pondered, going off-topic. Logan was about to tell him to get back to the night at hand, but he started back up on his own.

“Right, so after we got back, we played Barbie Dream date. It’s an old dumb 90s board game I found at a garage sale. We were eating pizza and trash-talking each other, describing the dates we took our generic Ken’s on. They talked about which Ken was a more worthy sacrifice, I think that was them fighting over David Bowie Ken. I’m not sure. Remus said every cuss he could think of in one breath when Virgil got him. 

“So, they finished the bottle while we were playing. Virgil was clingy drunk while I was putting away the board game to go home and Remus seemed kind of spacey. It made sense that they were just going to go back inside and cuddle and watch Space Jam or something and pass out. It was like 3, 3:30 am. I was tired and sober enough to walk home since I stopped drinking a few hours ago and had 2 coffees. Once Virgil’s clingy drunk, he doesn’t normally like to go anywhere. He argues against going to the bathroom, even. And Remus clearly likes the contact. I don’t think they hug that boy at home. Not that I’m any better.

“Anyway, they walked me out, Virgil commented that he needed the fresh air, basically, so I told them not to leave the block and left. They clearly left the block,” Remington grumbled. “That’s the whole night. I think they played Mario Kart before I came over since Remus likes to play it after school. Not the new one. He likes the retro ones. Obviously, they had started fubar without me. But that’s all I know about the rest of the night,”

“So the only thing they were harping on was dragons,” Logan asked Remington to clarify.

“Yup,” Remington popped the p.

“I do not understand what they could have been doing out at night with dragons,” Logan said bluntly, not feeling any more elucidated than before. Patton looked appropriately concerned instead of sour, finally.

“Shit, I don’t even think _they_ knew. They were _blackout_ drunk, Logan. There’s no way they remember the whole night. Virgil’s, like, 100lbs tops. You saw that bottle. Why do you think I’m _beside myself_ here?” Remington hissed angrily. Logan exhaled and rubbed his face. He wasn’t sure what to do.


	8. Virgil - Cults can't be this chill, right?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They look at some stuff.

Remus did that thing where he spaces out and loses the world staring at the fire. Other than it feeling, like, electric current-y in here, Virgil couldn’t remember anything new. He also couldn’t move Remus from the spot. Maybe he was hallucinating again. Being abducted by a cult and not knowing what happened for a few days was stressful. At least in Virgil’s opinion. Remus didn’t seem very stressed by this. He said whatever and they hung on to his words. He was probably loving this. Though that didn’t explain what looked like a very intense amount of disassociation right now.

Virgil loved that people cared about him here, or at least Remus, anyway. And there was real food. But everything else was stressful. There were all these new people. And he was in a new place. And if he had to work outside, he’d get such a bad sunburn. He really hoped he wouldn’t have to work outside. Fire babysitter seemed like a chill gig. The guard was whittling a block of wood and whistling some unknown tune. It seemed like a cushy job. It was hot as balls in here, though. Virgil supposed that they let it burn out normally instead of just putting it out. Probably some ritualistic reason? Virgil wasn’t sure how a fire lit last night could still roar this hugely. It really was massive.

He also did not understand what they were supposed to be pretending to do. Or actually doing. That Lord Damien guy would probably tell them tomorrow. They were ‘recovering’ today. But other than a headache, Virgil felt pretty good. His back even hurt less than it had all last year. And his ankle was no longer hurting from when they jumped off the house last week. The headache was weird, though. It wasn’t really like a hangover headache. His head felt… tight and fuzzy. And things strained his eyes really easily. And stuff was just a little loud. And smells were strong. It smelled… really earthy in here for a room that had a giant fire in it. Virgil would be more concerned if Remus hadn’t said he had a headache, too. That meant it was maybe that weird milk thing.

Even if Virgil wasn’t aware of what was happening, he probably did whatever Remus did. It’s what he defaulted to in new settings. Remus could say some wild and weird shit, but he knew how to be charming and interesting just the same. And was much better at social cues than Virgil was. In Virgil’s opinion, it should be socially acceptable to read all the time. That was something he could do. Virgil knew better than to disturb Remus while he was hallucinating. He tended to lash out. He needed to wait until he came down a bit before he could bring him back. He’d tap his shoulder in a minute or two and see if he responds at all. Remus seemed okay for now. His breathing was even, and he didn’t have a bad expression on his face, anyway.

“Hey, um, dude?” Virgil sidled up to the guard and cleared his throat.

“Yes, Sir Virgil?” He looked up immediately and smiled. Virgil flinched. Ugh, he would not get used to this treatment.

“I, um, books?” Virgil stammered out. He wasn’t sure if it would be scripture or a bible or… anything. He hoped the guy would get whatever he blathered out. The man looked at him confused for a moment but smiled brightly.

“Ah, you want to re-familiarize yourself with the texts? Yes, I did too, after the ceremony. They’re in the sanctuary. Take the ones in black leather, now that you’re no longer an initiate. They have further readings. I heard you struggle in the sunlight and it causes you to become forgetful and withdrawn. The other acolytes and I are sorry the sight causes you such troubles. Did Lord Damien manage to propose a solution?” He asked. This guy seemed more familiar with them. Did they know him?

“Um, sunglasses,” Virgil muttered. The acolyte nodded.

“Yes, sometimes ancient problems require modern solutions,” He chuckled. “I don’t see how it would help, but if it would reduce your discomfort, I will ask the other acolytes if any of them has a pair,” Virgil shook his head. “No? Well. The offer is open. It appears sir Remus is communing. He may be awhile. Would you like me to show you how to whittle? It’s a nice way to pass the time for nervous hands like yours,” He suggested. Virgil looked down and noticed he was wringing his hands and pulled them away from each other quickly.

“I didn’t mean to embarrass, Sir Virgil, I do apologize,” He said humbly and bowed his head. Virgil shook his head and tried to motion with his hands it wasn’t a big deal. Virgil sat down next to him and watched his hands. He seemed to understand and stared, explaining how to hold the knife and how to cut to not damage your fingers. As he showed Virgil how to get smooth transitions, Virgil briefly got up to check on Remus. He was still staring at the fire, doing good. Boy, this was a long... whatever was happening. Virgil looked back down and watched him repeat the motion a few times, showing Virgil.

The man… acolyte? The guy handed Virgil a new piece of branch and his knife, and Virgil stared at him wide-eyed. They were… just going to let him play with knives? Virgil took it carefully.

“Show me how to hold the knife and make a notch so I can check your form,” He said gently. Virgil swallowed and made the notch as he was shown. The wood was soft and pretty easy to cut, actually. Virgil was anticipating using a little more force, and he slipped, but he didn’t damage himself of the block, just cut deeper than intended and slipped a bit. “Happens every first cut, don’t worry about it. You know how the wood feels now,” Virgil nodded nervously and tried again. This notch was easier. It was a little uneven, but the acolyte guy said nothing. He just nodded and motioned for Virgil to continue. Virgil kept making notches around the middle. The man nodded encouragingly and patiently watched.

“ _Virge_!” Remus shouted. Virgil jumped in surprise, and the knife slid and got caught in the wood instead of slipping into his hand. Thank goodness for small favors. He shakily handed back the man his knife with the wood still caught on it and got up, latching back onto Remus’s robe. “This fire’s amazing! There’s _no way_ the other sites top this,”

“Um, maybe we should go either way before you walk right into it,” Virgil whispered, lightly tugging at his robe.

“What?” Remus asked, reaching out to the fire. Virgil slapped his hand down.

“Let’s _go_ ,” Virgil hissed. He nodded nervously to the fire babysitter and pushed Remus out of the structure and back towards the sanctuary.

“Why d'you yank me outta there, Virge? We just got there,” Remus whined.

“We were in there for at least long enough for me to start learning how to whittle. I think you were hallucinating again,” Virgil explained quietly.

“Oh, yeah, maybe. It was pretty hot in there. Did I say anything?” Remus asked.

“No, you looked chill, though pretty distracted,” Virgil said. “Let’s get a bike before going to the other sites, okay? I’m done walking and there are three elements to go,”

“Yeah, sure. You think they’ll let me come back? Or get to be the fireguard?” Remus asked hopefully.

“I don’t think they’d stop you, no,” Virgil groaned. “There're books in the sanctuary we can read and catch up on what we forgot. The black bound ones,” Virgil told him. He didn’t think Remus heard or remembered anything that happened.

“Ugh, that’s _homework_ ,” Remus groaned.

“ _Fine_ , there’s book’s _I’ll_ read. I’m pretty interested, anyway. Are you feeling okay? You don’t normally hallucinate that long,” Virgil asked carefully.

“Yeah! My head hurts worse, but, whatever. The fire was huge!” Remus said excitedly. Virgil rolled his eyes and propelled Remus forward.

Virgil was very thirsty by the time they got to the bikes, so they went inside to the kitchen. There was a classic hand pump that had to be primed to get water from the reservoir. Remus pumped it for Virgil and they both drank gratefully. It had been a long walk.

“My kingdom for a water bottle,” Virgil groaned as he took another sip from the cup.

“There might be water skeins. There’s clearly a leatherworker here. They’d need something while they were out in the field,” Remus said, appreciating the leather shoes on his feet. Virgil looked around the kitchen for a moment to see if anybody was around and started checking the cabinets. There were bagged grains and jars of dried seasonings. He eventually found leather water pouches in a lower cabinet, as Remus suggested. Remus smirked and Virgil pulled out two bottles for them to fill. Filling them was precarious, but the skeins were designed to be hooked on the belt with their robes, so it was easy to get back moving.

They headed out to the water site next, basically because it was closest. It was on the same side of the chapel as the water pump to the west. The journey on the bike was significantly easier. The bikes were designed for the tall grass and bumpy terrain. Now that they had water and wheels, this would be a breeze.

The water site was basically a giant fountain at the river. Virgil had absolutely no clue there was even a river here. He wasn’t sure anybody else did either because it wasn’t even that polluted. But Virgil suspected that someone probably came out and cleaned up any trash that might float downstream. The fountain was pristine for an outdoor water fountain. A water wheel powered it, filling the top and over-pouring back into the river. There were three tiers and it kind of looked like marble, the stone was so shiny and polished.

Remus and Virgil both reached out and put their hands in it now that first-degree burns weren’t involved. The water was amazingly cool and refreshing and Virgil felt more relaxed just letting it run through his fingers. It might have even cleared up his headache a little. He’d shove his whole head under there if he wasn’t afraid of getting purple hair dye in the fountain.

“Not as cool as the fire, but still nice,” Remus nodded at the fountain as they walked back to the bikes.

“Yeah, it’s really chill here. North next?” Virgil asked, checking the map. He had folded it up and put it in his sleeve for ease of travel. It was too hard to hold the map and bike at the same time. “That’s the… earth one. You think a garden or a big rock?”

“Yes,” Remus smirked. Virgil rolled his eyes and folded the map up, then they kicked off and pedaled to the next destination. The fields were out to the north of the chapel and they had to bike all the surrounding ways to avoid the crops. Virgil appreciated the water skein thing, though getting a drink from it was hard. Remus used it more effortlessly. His Ren Faire obsession finally paid off. Who would have guessed?

-

The earth site… it was almost like a small stone henge if it was completely overgrown. It almost looked like it hadn’t been touched for hundreds of years. Vines hung from the tall mossy rocks. The boulders weren’t too much bigger than a person, but they were a sight to behold. It wasn’t really quite a garden or a big rock. It was kind of like where Virgil would imagine witches would congregate. It was really neat in that sense. Remus loved the vines. He was playing with one while Virgil felt the cool stones. It was oddly velvety from the moss.

“Any… any more memories there, Ream?” Virgil asked nervously. He didn’t have any and had a feeling Remus didn’t either.

“Nope! I’ve given up!” Remus announced cheerily. Virgil huffed. How very Remus to stop caring about losing a few days of his life. But that happened to him all the time. Remus didn’t have to be drunk to blackout and forget things. It happened when he was stressed, just like the hallucinations. “You know where the books are, right? We can fill in the gaps later and be productive cult members without our dumb memories,” Remus said… and Virgil hated that it sounded reasonable. He sighed and pressed his head against the rock. Virgil could have taken a nap against this rock, it was so weirdly comfortable. Remus did him one better and sat on the ground and leaned back against the rock.

“I hope we’re _allowed_ to do this,” Virgil murmured, sitting down next to Remus and leaning against Remus and the rock. Remus sighed and leaned into Virgil as well. Virgil wasn’t quite sure how they sat there, honestly. He closed his eyes and just focused on the soft buzzing feeling and the contact with Remus. Things were definitely too bright and loud right now, so he relished the quiet moment. He felt like he might have drifted, but not really off to sleep. It was a little like the feeling of disassociation, but without losing full connection with himself. They didn’t have watches, and his sense of time had been shot by the memory loss. But Remus’s stomach growled and seemed to shake them out of it.

“Must be lunchtime,” Remus yawned and stretched. “Let’s go back to the chapel and see what they whipped up for us,” Virgil nodded and slowly got up, stretching out as well. They must have been there for a while. Virgil and Remus hopped back on to the bikes. There was luckily a path for bikes and horses right down the center of the fields, and they got back to the sanctuary quickly.

Virgil and Remus stowed the bikes and walked inside. Virgil was latched back on to Remus as he bravely led him back to the kitchen.

“Ah! Sir Remus! Sir Virgil! We were getting worried. We were just packing up lunch. We saved you a tray, let me get it,” An initiate said as they entered the kitchen. Geez, did they fall asleep at that rock or something? The initiate came back over with the tray of shared food and the two sets of tableware and glasses of more orange juice. It was pork chops, bread, and fresh-looking salads. The leaves even glistened from being freshly washed.

“Thanks!” Remus beamed and turned towards the hall. Remus pointed to the door that leads to the hall Lord Damien’s quarters are in and Virgil nodded at him mutely. He didn’t like social interaction much as it is, without being outed as frauds or something because they weren’t sure what was happening. Remus was about to barge in the quarters when Virgil pulled back on his robes.

“He could actually be _in_ there this time,” Virgil hissed. Remus rolled his eyes and knocked.

“Come in,” A voice called, very muted through the thick wooden doors. Remus pulled the door open and placed the tray on the table. Lord Damien appeared to be just finishing his lunch.

“Ah, Remus, Virgil, good to see you,” He cooed, looking brightly at them. Virgil scampered off to the bathroom to wash his hands, pulling Remus with him when he nearly sat down. They were just touching rocks, after all. Remus grumbled when he washed his hands.

Virgil sat carefully down as Remus plopped down and took a grateful drink of the orange juice. Virgil followed suit, watching the Damien guy carefully. He seemed nice enough and all, but the leaders of cults he read about were always bad news. The odds of Virgil and Remus stumbling in on the one nice cult on the planet in the woods seemed like too much of a coincidence. Or maybe cults got a bad rap and the news only talks about the scary ones. As much as Virgil loved the idea of cults, he couldn’t help but be a little unsettled by the guy. Maybe he was just being paranoid, though.


	9. Virgil - Damien Can't be This Chill Either

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil questions reality.

“It’s good to see you in health. How is your trek to the ritual sites going?” Lord Damien asked smoothly. Did they tell him that? Word must travel around the acolytes fast. They left the building on a ‘stroll’ and Remus just wanted to look at the fire.

“Good, we just have one left to visit,” Remus said, slicing into his pork chop. Virgil started slowly chewing his salad.

“Is it helping your sight at all?” Damien asked curiously.

“My headache is clearing up,” Remus said and took a large bite.

“Wonderful. Torres said you were communing at the fire for a while, I was concerned it would set you back,” Damien nodded.

“Um, do you…?” Virgil asked before he could stop himself.

“Yes, I also get headaches from the sight. I am not as capable of an interpreter as you, though, Virgil. Your sight is very impressive. Other than your obvious connection to the night, perhaps it’s why you struggle so in the day,” Damien mused. “I’ve been checking the writings for answers to your dilemma, but there isn’t very much on the problem. An herbal remedy may be the answer, but I rarely see such things,” Damien said smoothly and took another bite of his nearly depleted salad. He was looking for a solution for Virgil? This is a problem there was writing on? Virgil sort of felt his reality crack a little. Was he just a night owl? _No_ , this was weird. Well, Virgil was weird for wanting to be here. Virgil carefully chewed another bite.

“So what do you see?” Remus asked, eying the salad. Remus wasn’t a big fan of greens, but he better not let this hand-picked food go to waste. Remus lightly shrugged and started eating it. Good.

“Oh, nothing new today, just the usual. I am intrigued by the altered mead Virgil suggested. We will see if that will help. My sight has been somewhat obscured since you arrived. I know there is a change soon, but I haven’t seen what,” Damien said, sipping at a glass of water. Well, that was all extremely unhelpful. “What did you see at the fire, Remus?” Deceit asked, folding his fingers together and leaning his head on them.

“Headache got worse, and I forgot it,” Remus grumbled. “I bet it was awesome,”

“Ah, well, perhaps it is strained from yesterday. You saw that fairy ring we had to appease and remove. That would have been very troublesome, I’m thankful you caught it. I can’t believe it was forming right under our noses,” Deceit said airily and leaned back.

“I did?” Remus asked and Virgil kicked him under the table. Remus shot Virgil a quick look and shrugged. He was right, it was already out there.

“Do try not to use your sight any further today, Remus, or I’m afraid you’ll have as many memory problems as poor Virgil,” Damien supplicated. Virgil rolled his eyes and stabbed at his salad again, taking another bite.

“I can’t really control it yet,” Remus mumbled, taking another stab at his pork chop.

“That’s quite all right, we can help you if things get overwhelming. I haven’t found a history of having three seers at once. I imagine things will be getting very interesting. Much more interesting when the prophecy you fulfilled brought two of you instead of the one we expected,” Virgil felt his eyes go wide and quickly dropped his face to the table and hoped Damien didn’t catch that. He took a deep breath and tried to steady himself. There were here from a prophecy? Did the prophecy really call for drunk teenagers? “Virgil, are you okay?” Damien’s smooth voice asked as Virgil hid behind his hood. Virgil nodded but clearly wasn’t convincing. “Virgil, it’s hard to help you when you lie,” He said tiredly. Virgil stiffened.

“H-headache,” Virgil said, his voice cracking. Damien put his hand on Virgil’s shoulder, and it stung a little.

“Gracious Virgil, you don’t have to attack me. Why don’t you go lie down? I’m sure Remus would be happy to finish your portion again and I can have them bring you up a sandwich,” Damien said, shaking his hand slightly. Virgil nodded and got up to head towards the door. “Virgil, darling, thank you for your consideration, but you can rest in here. There’s no need to cross the sanctuary,” He said. Virgil just nodded again and headed towards Damien’s bed.

The sheets were surprisingly soft. He kicked off his shoes and unhooked the water skien and laid down. Virgil closed his eyes and slid the pillow over them, relishing the darkness.

“He hasn’t been like that all day, has he?” Damien asked, sounding disconcerted.

“He always kind of like that,” Remus laughed. Virgil flipped him off without removing his head from under the pillow. Virgil felt kind of dizzy from his world view tilting. He thought he was open-minded, but Remus really takes that cake. He didn’t seem shaken at all at the whole prophecy thing. And he was chill this morning, too. How does he do that? How is any of this real? Virgil wasn’t sure exactly what was happening, other than maybe he was actually supposed to be here? That was wild enough to think of.

“He seemed to perk up after the western site, but I think we both might have fallen asleep at the northern site,” Remus said.

“Yes, I could understand that. The earth dragon is at the forefront. With your sights tired, you might have been somewhat overwhelmed. I perhaps should have warned you not to touch the stones,” Damien said. He sounded a little more distant than before. Well, the whole room did.

“No, it was nice,” Remus said wistfully.

“Nice?” Damien chuckled. “Well, I suppose that is a blessing. I will join you out to the final site to make sure you are safe. The wind chooses you at the eastern site, it’s not particularly avoidable. If you are both incapacitated again, I dare say you may not remember any of today and may need another recovery day. At least I am not fond of waking up alone in the middle of a field, unsure of how I got there,” A somewhat bitter laugh escaped Virgil.

“Virgil says ‘mood’,” Remus translated.

“You and your memes,” Damien drawled slightly. “Yes, Virgil probably relates the closest to that. It must be alarming to get disoriented so every morning. I do hope that map helps,”

“Compass,” Virgil said from under the pillow.

“I will hunt one down,” Damien said softly.

“I mean, we have woken up in weird places. A dock, a roof, a driveway, on a car, Virgil’s hall closet, under my brother’s bed. That one was funny though I have no idea how we got there. And I woke up in a tree once but it’s probably more accurate to say I woke up falling out of a tree,” Remus listed off some of the places they’ve woken up from blacking out drunk at. Virgil woke up still in the tree for that last one, but when he heard Remus fall. There were _some_ benefits to being small and not rolling as much in his sleep. Damien just nodded, looking somewhat baffled. There was a knock at the doors and Virgil just buried his head further from the sound.

“Yes?” Damien called.

“I’ve come for the trays, Lord,” The voice called. A chair shifted and feet stepped across the room. Then the door creaked open.

“Sir Remus is just finishing up. Could you return with a light sandwich for Sir Virgil? And a small glass of the allspice mead, please,” Lord Damien asked softly. Virgil could barely hear him through the pillow.

“Right away,” The voice said, and the door clicked shut.

“Goodness, Remus, don’t choke,” Damien laughed. “I thought you were hungry, but you do not have to eat so feverishly,” Remus coughed.

“Headaches make me hungry,” Remus said dismissively.

“Yes, and _choking on_ a _pork chop_ is not the way you are destined to go,” Damien chuckled slightly.

“How am I destined to go?” Remus asked, sounding way more interested than any normal human should.

“I don’t know, seers foresee their own deaths. You haven’t foreseen it, so it cannot be this pork chop,” Damien said.

“I think that means it could be a pork chop still. But a future pork chop,” Remus said with a chuckle.

“I suppose, though, it is a rather… undignified death for a seer,” Damien said with a pause.

“Dignity is for ones other than I,” Remus said proudly. “If I am lost to a pork chop, I would be as proud as falling in battle,” Damien laughed deeply.

“You are an odd one, Remus,” Damien said mirthfully. The chair scooted gratingly across the floor again, and Virgil groaned. “Sorry, Virgil,” Damien apologized. “You had mentioned having visions before arriving here. Were they often in the vivid detail you described the fairy ring yesterday? It was fascinating to listen to,”

“Not always. But usually. I doubt you’d ‘find them tasteful’, but what I see, I see well,” Remus offered proudly.

“Yes, they are very dark in nature. I’ve heard you talking to yourself in a trance. You scared the other initiates enough they summoned me,” Damien chuckled.

“He… does that sometimes,” Virgil piped up from on the bed. “Not always dark. Sometimes just… weird. He talks in his sleep, too,”

“I do?” Remus suddenly blurted in surprise.

“Y-You didn’t know?” Virgil groaned from the bed. “I thought you, uh, shared a room with Roman as a kid?”

“I didn’t start seeing things until after we were separated,” Remus grumbled.

“Um, sorry,” Virgil mumbled into the pillow.

“The initiates reported that, too, honestly you were rather distressing to them,” Damien laughed.

“Speaking of distressing, can I slaughter a pig?” Remus asked hopefully. Damien choked and sputtered. Virgil could relate.

“I… suppose… if that’s something you _want_ to do, we could do that. We still have plenty of pork in the freezer, though. It wouldn’t be anytimesoon. What… brought that on exactly?” Damien asked, sounding like he was catching his breath.

“I thought it would be fun,” Remus said dismissively.

“An odd one indeed. Please tell me you also find that idea distasteful, Virgil,” Damien asked. Virgil held up a thumbs up. “Thank the dragons. I was concerned that perhaps I was the odd one out. You both have a somewhat morbid fascination with death, if I am to be honest,” Damien said. A knock at the door came and Virgil groaned again. There was a clattering of trays that Virgil suffered through before he heard Damien talking next to him.

“The allspice mead will help,” Damien offered. Virgil peeked from under the pillow and exhaled. Alcohol probably would help. Virgil carefully sat up and tenderly took the glass from Damien’s fingers. Virgil took a deep breath and threw it back like bad vodka, but it was actually pretty damn delicious.

“Goodness, I hope you don’t always drink like that or you’ll have memory problems for two reasons,” Damien said, sounding a little disgusted. Remus barked with laughed and Virgil chuckled.

“Oh, I can’t believe you didn’t hear about the water gun incident already,” Remus said.

“God, Ream, please, let it _die_ ,” Virgil groaned and hid his face back behind the pillow.

“I’m curious, but angering Virgil would be very counterproductive at the moment. Perhaps Virgil will volunteer it himself at the new moon, however,”

“Why… would I do that?” Virgil asked carefully.

“If you drink like _that_ , dear boy, I’m sure it would not be hard to coax the story out of you when we pull out the mead for the celebration,” Damien chuckled. Virgil groaned again and took a deep breath. After a moment, the alcohol had kicked in enough to help with his headache and he slowly removed the pillow. “Glad to see it work. Eat your sandwich and we will set out. I would hurry, Remus seems to be eying it,” Damien said after a moment.

“That’s my sandwich, fucker, you got lunch already,” Virgil shot up and shoved Remus away. Remus laughed and grabbed Virgil and nuzzled him before letting him got eat at the table. Virgil grumbled and tried to fix his hair before giving up and pulling the fallen hood back up over it. He sat down and unfolded the cloth napkin with the simple sandwich in it. Lettuce, tomato, and thin pork chop slices. Virgil relished it now that he could think a little straighter.

“You are very… close,” Damien said carefully.

“He’s more my brother than my brother is,” Remus responded quickly, sitting down at the table next to Virgil. Virgil hissed at him with his hand got too close to his hair again. “Fine,” He grumbled.

“Perhaps your gifts drew you together,” Damien muttered. “Or perhaps you are just kindred spirits. Is this why you insisted rooming together?” He asked after a pause. Virgil looked to Remus, and Remus looked back with a slowly widening grin. Virgil groaned into his sandwich.

“Virge was probably feeling clingy,” Remus responded. Virgil held up his middle fingers as he ate his sandwich.

“You do not remember that decision? You were both very adamant,” Damien asked curiously.

“I mean in that he wanted to room with me. He knows how gross I am. Of course, I wanted to room with him. I sleep better with him nearby,” Remus shrugged.

“Okay, so _maybe_ I sleep better with you nearby, too,” Virgil grumbled. “My house was too empty,” He added under his breath.

“And you’re warm and cuddly,” Remus cooed and fluttered his eyes.

“Don’t push it or I’m sleeping on the roof,” Virgil snarled. Damien laughed heartily again.

“You two are a delight,” He smirked. “Can you handle the sun again, Virgil?”

“Yeah,” Virgil mumbled as he finished off his sandwich. It really hit the spot, and he felt satisfied. “I never want to go back to prepackaged food again,”

“Heavens _no_ , Virgil, you are a seer. You shouldn’t subject your body to that. It would only make things harder on yourself,” Damien said adamantly. “Don’t forget your shoes and water,” He added when Virgil got up.

“Does that, uh,” Virgil started, not sure how to ask.

“Virgil’s eaten nothing but junk food for three years,” Remus finished.

“I… see,” Damien slightly recoiled. “And that doesn’t… affect you?”

“Man, I’ve had so many world views destroyed recently and I don’t even know,” Virgil groaned and got back up to slip on his shoes. Remus quickly got up and went over to him.

“Don’t fall, V,” Remus said, holding out his arm for Virgil to balance as he adjusted the backs. Virgil took it. “You’re still looking kind of pale,” Remus said, pushing the bangs out of Virgil’s face and feeling his head. Virgil hissed at him again.

“I’m fine enough for a bike ride. The other sites were cool,” Virgil said, pushing Remus’s hand off of him.

“Ah, right… The predicament with the horses. I haven’t ridden a bike in a while,” Damien said. “Well, no need to prolong the inevitable,” Damien mused somewhat bitterly. 


	10. Virgil - Shit, There Goes my World View

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil isn't drunk but he probably wishes he was.

Virgil tried to focus on the bike ride on the way over instead of his completely out-of-control thoughts. He was glad they were getting their own room tonight so he could ask Remus how the fuck he was so skilled at just accepting all this stuff as it comes. Virgil always believed in the paranormal and always imagined running away to join a cult, but now that it was all here… it was overwhelming. Why couldn’t Virgil just be _regularly_ whelmed for once?

He breathed deep and watched Damien slightly swerve ahead. He smirked at that. Remus popped a wheelie just to flex on Damien, who looked frustrated in response. Virgil snickered at Damien’s sour face while he struggled with the bike. At least Remus was here. Virgil wasn’t sure he wouldn’t have already run off to go home by now. Well, maybe not lost-memories him. Which maybe was because of visions or something? Virgil had never had visions. Remus was the one who hallucinated. Remus always trusted Virgil’s gut feelings, but that was as close to a premonition as he ever had. Everybody had instincts. Virgil wasn’t special for that. Maybe it was just Remus, and there was a mistake. Virgil was perfectly fine with being Remus’s plus one to the cult party, anyway. Less pressure on himself.

A large hill crested the meadow and rose into view with what looked like a platform and a pillar on top. Ugh, he couldn’t bike that. Virgil wished he had the condom stick to hike with. Remus curved off and parked his bike at the start of the slow incline right after Damien did. Virgil pulled his bike up park it next to theirs and grabbed onto Remus’s robes in apprehension.

“No, no, squirt, you’re gonna pull me down the hill. Walk ahead of me and I’ll keep a hand on you,” Remus rejected him, pulling Virgil forward. Virgil shook his head and flat out refused. “Too bad, I’m not breaking my neck for you. I’ve got things I wanna do now,” Remus said and wrapped his arm around Virgil’s shoulders. Virgil wrung his hands and looked nervously ahead. He wasn’t sure he could take anymore worldview shattering today, and he had a weird feeling.

“Virgil, darling, I’m here to make sure you’re alright,” Damien said and placed his hand on Virgil’s lower back as they started the slow incline up with Remus and Damien on either side of him. That wasn’t entirely what he was worried about.

“It’s very nice out here. The wildflowers are lovely, aren’t they, V?” Remus said gently. Wildflowers? Virgil looked around. There was a beautiful spray of wildflowers along the hillside. “Smells nice,” He said. Virgil took a deep breath. It did smell wonderful, the wind carried a crisp and fresh floral smell. “The wind rustling in the trees is relaxing,” Remus added. Virgil shifted his head to listen. There were some birds chirping in the distance, too, along with the sound of the grass crunching underneath their feet. Virgil grabbed Remus’s robes from the side he was on and swallowed. Virgil felt a little less panicked and took another deep breath of the grass and wildflowers.

“Th-thanks, Ream,” Virgil muttered and kept his eyes on the hillside to make sure he didn’t stumble and take them both down with him. Remus always seemed to know when Virgil needed grounding.

“Anytime, V,” Remus said, squeezing Virgil’s shoulders slightly. “You’re always there to tell me what’s real and wait with me to make sure I’m safe,” Remus added. Virgil just mumbled, feeling embarrassed in front of Damien. Virgil wished he knew what was real. And not because he was hallucinating. Virgil watched a grasshopper jump and fly away from them as they neared the top.

“The wind is the strongest on the platform, so perhaps stay off for now,” Damien suggested, stepping up onto the square stone platform at the top. There was a swirling carved rock pillar in the center that looked amazing.

“Fuck that,” Remus objected, hopping up and pulling Virgil with him.

“Please be careful, Remus,” Damien shot them an exasperated look.

“S’not that windy,” Remus supplied, looking around at the top of the hill. Virgil peeked up to look with him. He was kind of afraid of heights. The hill didn’t seem that steep when climbing it, other than the fact that his legs kind of burned, but they could see a lot of the compound up here.

“Is that a flower garden?” Virgil asked, pivoting what looked to be to the north. They must have just barely missed it when biking back to the sanctuary.

“Flowers and Herbs, yes. Planting flowers for the earth dragon is a common devotional,” Damien supplied, turning to look with them. “Do you like flowers, Virgil?” Damien asked. Virgil nodded slowly. He didn’t want to give the impression he was weak or anything, but he liked them a lot. He knew flower meanings and had a small number of flowers planted in his backyard. And that garden was massive compared to his if he could make it out from here.

“What flowers do you like?” Damien asked softly. Virgil tensed up, worried about how he would look.

“He likes the bat flower and foxglove,” Remus replied quickly for him. Virgil shot him a glower, but Remus just smiled back at him. Remus was probably right, though.

“’M favourite is monkshood,” Virgil mumbled, clenching tight on Remus’s robe.

“I like hellebores. Flowers aren’t really my thing, but Virgil talks about them enough that I could pick some,” Remus explained blithely, and Virgil nodded minutely in confirmation.

“Those are cool, too,” Virgil agreed quietly. “Those at the edge are Egyptian stars, right? They’re easy to grow here and the bees like them,” Virgil asked, examining the garden.

“Virgil, how can you possibly make out flower shapes that far?” Damien asked, leaning forward and squinting. “I… yes, if memory serves, I believe they are,” He sounded unsure, still trying to examine the garden.

“The color and shape are familiar, I had planted some,” Virgil tried to explain.

“Virgil’s got eagle eyes. He’s great at finding lost stuff, too,” Remus offered, squeezing Virgil slightly again. The breeze kicked up and made Virgil’s hood smack the side of his face. He grumbled and dropped it, not wanting to be hit in the eye.

“I don’t have eagle eyes, they’re just familiar. I saw them out my window all the time,” Virgil grumbled. He didn’t take compliments well, but Remus was definitely over-inflating him.

“I can recall what’s planted on the north side near the pentas. What’s that pink one next to it?” Damien asked coolly, pointing out at the garden.

“Angel wings. Or, um, elephant ears. They’re perennials,” Virgil answered, leaning against Remus.

“I think you _can_ see that well, Virgil,” Damien chuckled in his chest. Virgil flushed and looked down, feeling embarrassed.

“Can we stop roasting me?” Virgil muttered bitterly, shooting a glare at Remus.

“It’s a _compliment_ , Virge, learn to take one,” Remus responded judgementally, so Virgil flipped him off.

“Never,” Virgil hissed. The wind picked up again with enough force to push them on the platform. “I get the pillar now,” Virgil reached out and held onto Remus’s robe with his other hand. He wouldn’t mind holding on to the pillar, too, though. “Can we get off before I’m blown off the hill?” Virgil asked.

“Oh, rolling down the hill would be so killer! That’s not like sacrilegious, right? Can I roll down the hill?” Remus bounced on his toes in excitement.

“No, it’s not sacrilegious, it’s just a hill, Remus. But I don’t think it’s safe,” Damien drawled. Remus had already started to let go of Virgil, but Virgil held tight to his robes. The wind pushed Virgil again and a bright flash of lightning and a crack of thunder shook Virgil and he stumbled, holding his head against the loud thunder.

“Virgil are you alright?” Damien asked quickly.

“Uh, thanks for catching me, Ream,” Virgil mumbled. He wasn’t quite sure how he ended up there in Remus’s arms. Virgil wobbled as he stood up straight. “Fuck, that was loud. Let’s get out of here before we’re caught in a downpour,” Virgil grumbled, holding on to Remus’s arm, still for balance.

“Virge, it’s clear blue skies up there. What are you talking about?” Remus asked. Virgil glanced up and only saw a few wisps of clouds and robin’s egg blue.

“But what about the thunder?” Virgil incredulously. “You saw the lightning, right? It was really bright,” He looked around to both of them.

“Nope,” Remus said, holding Virgil around the shoulders again, but Virgil stumbled once more.

“Ah! The change is to wind! The others will be so excited! Virgil, do you remember where we are?” Damien exclaimed excitedly.

“Um, I want to say a hill in a field,” Virgil groaned after looking around briefly.

“Yes, _excellent_ observational skills, Virgil,” Damien rolled his eyes. “Just answer the question,” Damien said sardonically. Virgil wasn’t actually sure. He tried to think about how they got there and things were really fuzzy. Virgil grabbed his head when it started pounding.

“Uh. Um. Eastern site?” Virgil finally supplied.

“Virge, I don’t know how, but you’re paler than before,” Remus said, helping Virgil stand straight again as the wind pushed him.

“I think you should carry back Virgil, Remus,” Damien said, placing his hand on Virgil’s arm.

“’M… fine,” Virgil mumbled.

“Aw, I wanted to roll down the hill,” Remus moaned.

“I’m not strong enough to carry Virgil downhill and I’ve seen you throw him around like a toy,” Damien insisted. “Your lack of _concussion_ will thank you,” He added sharply after a moment.

“Can I roll down it just a little?” Remus asked hopefully. Damien reached around and took hold of Virgil at the waist and nodded, rolling his eyes. Remus cheered and flung himself off the small platform and tucked, rolling down the hill. Grass flew, and crickets wildly cleared his path. Virgil reached out for Damien’s robe to help balance as the wind gently swayed them. Remus flung out a leg to stop himself partway down and cheered again and he slowly wobbled to his feet and crawled back up using his hands to balance.

“Chaotic little ball of energy, isn’t he?” Damien chuckled. Virgil nodded mutely. “And you have a problem with lying about if you’re feeling well,” Damien added, chidingly. Virgil just rolled his eyes. Remus finished clambering up the hill and stood up straight, brushing himself off.

“The good sir’s taxi awaits,” Remus beamed and turned around, then squatted and held his hands out to grab Virgil.

“Really, ‘m f-” Virgil tried to start, but Damien clapped Virgil’s hand over his own mouth.

“You’re getting carried by Remus and that’s final, Virgil,” Damien said firmly, pushing Virgil forward to climb on to Remus’s back. As soon as Virgil got close, Remus basically took over and swooped Virgil up so fast he barely wrapped his arms around Remus’s neck in time. Damien was in place to catch him, but it was still pretty scary. Virgil had fallen off Remus’s ‘piggy-back’ before. It was before Remus’s growth spurt, but the memory was still fresh.

Remus didn’t have much trouble balancing going downhill, despite the fact he just tumbled and had Virgil on his back throwing off his center of balance. It seemed much steeper on the way down. Virgil was starting to have trouble keeping his eyes open. And the flowers and the familiar smell of Remus intermingled gently. He tried to fight it, but he couldn’t stop himself from drifting off.

-

Virgil woke up in Damien’s bed, tucked in under the warm covers. There was a sharp pain in his head again as he slid into consciousness that he hissed and grasped his head again.

“Hey, Virgil!” Remus waved from the table. It kind of smelled like vegetable stew in here. They must have been eating dinner. “Soup’s still warm!” He grinned. Virgil slowly shifted up.

“I have another allspice mead here for you as a painkiller, Virgil, if you’re ready to get up. Though maybe don’t throw this one back so violently,” Damien chuckled. Virgil grumbled and rubbed his eyes.

“’M vision’s all blurry,” Virgil mumbled sleepily. The blob with the gold accents came over to him. “Hey, D,” Virgil yawned and let Damien lead Virgil out of bed and to the table. Virgil yawned again and drifted a little at the table.

“Hey, V, stay with us,” Remus snapped his finger and a familiar warm hand grabbed his shoulder.

“Did I ever tell you you’re my favourite heater?” Virgil slurred slightly.

“Is he drunk?” Remus laughed.

“Virgil, please have some soup. It will help,” Damien said, pushing the bowl closer to Virgil. The warm steam filled his nose, and his stomach growled.

“Hungry. Ream stays,” Virgil grumbled, leaning into Remus’s hand. Damien held Virgil while Remus shifted closer to him and Virgil leaned against his shoulder. Virgil might have drifted again for a moment. He wasn’t sure, but Damien certainly moved really fast if he didn’t. Virgil reached up for the wooden carved spoon, that was really quite lovely, and started eating. He felt the fog start to lift slowly as he ate.

“Ah, there he is,” Remus said cheerily as Virgil rubbed his eyes.

“Where is who?” Virgil asked tiredly. “This stew is good,”

“There you are, buttface,” Remus cooed. “It’s evening already,”

“I think you may need to recover tomorrow as well, Virgil, considering you accidentally worked today,” Damien said softly. “Torres mentioned that you were interested in re-reading the writings. I had them delivered to your quarters. Remus can work with me tomorrow while you rest and read,”

“I worked today? I’d remember working today,” Virgil grumbled, rubbing his head slightly and taking another bite.

“You saw the change on the new moon, to the wind dragon at the forefront. I will see if Remus and I can figure out the rest of the order or open a channel. I’m not sure meditation is exactly… how Remus operates, but we’ll discover something for him,” Damien said. Remus hissed and made a thumbs down sign when Damien mentioned meditation.

“I just know it’s gonna rain,” Virgil grumbled. “And something’s gonna happen,” Virgil picked up the drink and took a long sip. God damn, that was smooth. “This stuff? The best,” Virgil said, pointing at the cup. Remus greedily reached for the cup and Virgil passed it off.

“Do you know what’s going to happen?” Damien asked, leaning forward and acting intrigued.

“I ‘unno,” Virgil shrugged. “Where am I again?”

“My quarters, Virgil,” Damien said, sounding exasperated. Virgil giggled slightly. He didn’t see any quarters.

“Are you sure he’s not drunk?” Remus asked, taking a sip of the drink. “Damn, that is the fucking best,” Remus said reverently. Virgil reached for it back and Remus gave it up reluctantly. “If Virgil’s drunk, I wanna be drunk,” He added petulantly, crossing his arms.

“Virgil’s _exhausted_ , Remus, not drunk. You were with him the whole day, how would he have gotten drunk without you?” Damien asked derisively.

“Sheer force of will,” Remus posited and Virgil laughed.

“I don’t have the sheer force of anything,” Virgil leaned back against Remus and closed his eyes. “Too lazy,” He twisted his finger lazily in the air.

“Virgil, finish your soup,” Damien insisted.

“Geez,” Virgil hissed and sat back up to continue eating. “You’re not my _real_ mom,” He stuck out his tongue. Damien exhaled in frustration.

“I will check on your quarters and let the acolytes know it will rain, so they can make sure the animals are indoors and settled. Remus, please make sure he finishes his soup and painkiller,” Damien said firmly, standing up.

“I’m not his real mom, _either_ ,” Remus cackled and leaned on one arm to look at Damien. Damien rolled his eyes and left the room, grumbling to himself. Virgil reached out and took another sip of his drink.

“You wan’ half?” Virgil asked, holding the cup out for Remus. Remus nodded enthusiastically and took the cup and had another drink. 


	11. Remus - Shove it, Society

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus and Virgil chat over breakfast.

“I got your breakfast, sleepyhead!” Remus announced as he dropped the tray of food on the table in their new quarters. It was somewhat cozier than Damien’s, but Remus liked that about it. Remus had a big house and that didn’t get him anything he really wanted in life. He really liked it here, more, where people other than Virgil listened to him. And everyone here liked them. They had installed black curtains in the room for Virgil. Remus hadn’t seen curtains anywhere else in the whole compound. They woke with the sun as an alarm but Virgil was already considered exempt if he needed it. That’s some love.

Remus liked waking up with the sun, but if they put a divider, they could probably just close one window and leave the other open for Remus… assuming Virgil slept in his own bed. When he’s too tired to care how it looks, he’s clingy and cuddly as fuck. Virgil grumbled and shifted around in Remus’s bed, pulling the covers back over himself. There was only one natural light window in here, sandwiched between the two stained glass ones. It might be a little hard to read in here since there’s no chair near the window. If Remus had more time, he’d rearrange the room, but Damien said Remus needed to meet him right after breakfast. V was resourceful, though and could figure it out for today.

“Virgil, it’s real food, and it’s best eaten hot,” Remus added, sitting down to enjoy some extra fresh bacon they gave him again today. There was a rice porridge instead of bread today but still had eggs loaded with vegetables. Virgil groaned and got up slowly.

“Fuck you,” he growled as he shifted out of the bed. Virgil looked down at himself and grunted. “We have our own shower in here, right? I don’t know about that whole communal bath situation,” Virgil grumbled.

“Water’s cold as a witch’s third nipple, but it is a private shower. They boil water for the communal bath in the evenings if you want it hot,” Remus replied. He had bathed last night after Virgil had conked out again after dinner. “Fresh robes for you in the bathroom,” He offered.

“Good, I feel gross,” Virgil grumbled as he made his way to the table and picked up the glass of orange juice.

“Damien sent us last night with a small jug of painkiller if that headache comes back while you’re reading,” Remus stated, digging into the eggs.

“You’re ‘working’ with Damien today, right? My memory of last night is really fuzzy,” Virgil said. “Well, of yesterday in general,” Virgil added and also enjoyed some eggs.

“I mean if it makes you pass out, it’s probably work, Virge,” Remus rolled his eyes. “You don’t gotta say it like that,”

“I didn’t technically do anything, I don’t get what was ‘work’ about it,” Virgil said.

“Work accomplishes stuff. You’re thinking of _bullshit_. If I’ve gotta try meditating again, It’ll be bullshit. I hate that shit. ‘Oh, try _meditating_ , Remus, I’ll _help_ ,’” Remus said mockingly, flapping his fingers like a hand puppet.

“Aren’t your hallucinations _good_ here? Wouldn’t it be the ultimate spite to meditate for _more_ hallucinations?” Virgil asked, sounding surprisingly devious for just waking up.

“I love you, you smarmy bastard,” Remus barked with laughter. “Okay, I’ll try it without attacking anyone,”

“I’m… nervous about being separated from you. What if you need grounding or I freak out or what if-” Virgil started rambling.

“Bup-bup-bup! I’ll be with D. Pace yourself reading and you can always ask someone where I am. They seem to be gossipy bitches here,”

“I mean, what else is there to do? There’s no electricity here and most of the books are scriptures,” Virgil said with a light huff. Book nerd.

“That thing labeled atheneum is a small library with tons of practical skill books and guides and a small fiction section. Mostly classics, but they have stuff you haven’t read. They have a few instruments here, too, that they’re willing to teach you. Some of the acolytes have been playing for years. Apparently this new moon change thing is kind of a rager and not some stuffy ceremony,” Remus explained, hoping the presence of more books would cheer Virgil up.

“Well, that’s awesome,” Virgil said tiredly, switching to the small side of rice porridge.

“I’ll trade you my porridge for more bacon,” Remus offered, pushing the other cup towards Virgil. Virgil nodded, and Remus cheerily ate another piece of bacon.

“You think they have a harp? I always thought sheik went off in Zelda,” Virgil asked curiously.

“I dunno. The guy who’s basically a librarian would know. He showed me the atheneum after I whined about being bored in the bath. You were only awake long enough to eat dinner and passed back out. I had to carry your ass to bed,” Remus stated.

“Sorry,” Virgil mumbled.

“You’re gonna have to bulk up, ‘cuz if I pass out I’ll need somebody to carry me,” Remus laughed.

“You’re way taller than me and twice my size, Remus,” Virgil said, exasperated. “I don’t think getting more fit would help me carry you. I’m like the shortest of all our friends. I think I’m the shortest one here,” Virgil added bitterly. 

“That Logan kid you hung out with was about your height,” Remus offered in consolation.

“It’s not like he’s here,” Virgil rolled his eyes. “If I’m having trouble accepting some of this stuff, then Logan would have an absolute meltdown. He’s logical to a fault. His dad’s been trying to force him to be a doctor or something his whole life. He was one of those babies that knew sign language,”

“Woah, holy shit, he should run away and join a cult,” Remus suggested facetiously. Virgil chuckled slightly.

“Remy would fucking love it here. Mostly just to be away from his dad, but come on, the gossip is clearly fresh,” Virgil smiled sarcastically.

“Remy might die without Instagram and coffee. I’m pretty certain he’s powered by it. We still haven’t found our phones and this ancient church doesn’t even have electricity to charge it,” Remus reminded him. Remy might like it, but Remus wasn’t sure. He agreed that the distance from his dad would be a big plus for him. The people here are so nice. There’d be none of that gay kid bullying Remy put up with. That would be cool, too. But he didn’t know about the rest. Remy’s hobbies were very social and digital. If Remus had some way to ask Remy if he was interested, though, he'd take it.

“There're solar panels. I saw them while we were on the hill. I think they’re for the freezer, though, but I’m not sure. That little room near the kitchen. It’s a walk-in according to the map,”

“I suppose we didn’t go full Amish,” Remus laughed.

“There’s a generator building too, according to the map. Everything here is manual, natural stuff, so I don’t know why they have one,” Virgil said, pulling the map out of his sleeve and unfolding it. “I’ll probably find out more today when I… ‘re’-read the books Damien left me,”

“He said you’re welcome to go through his own private selection as well. But there’s like 12 books in here, I don’t know how far you’ll get in one day. I don’t think I could have read 12 books. I bet you originally read all of them and explained it to me,” Remus mused.

“I don’t think you needed much of a primer. You are way too zen about all of this stuff. If I actually see a dragon, I will flip my shit, and that’s the way things seem do be going,” Virgil grumbled.

“I would _kill_ to see a dragon, how _cool_ would that be, Virge!?” Remus beamed.

“Okay, yeah, super fucking cool, but like, that doesn’t mean that I don’t feel like my whole life is a lie,” Virgil groaned and dropped his spoon into the rice porridge. It landing with a satisfying squishy noise.

“ _Fuck_ your old life,” Remus said victoriously. “What’s so great about it? People like us, and just being ourselves isn’t awful anymore. It’s like… important here. We’re important here. It’s not the ‘spaz and the schizoid’. We’re seers. For some kind of dragon cult thing. Religion. I don’t know. Tell me if you find the name. It would be incredibly embarrassing to ask at this point, I think,” Remus said firmly and ate another piece of bacon.

“We’ve been told we were bad for being out of it or scared or disconnected our whole lives, Remus, how can you just switch over like that?” Virgil asked seriously.

“Because that sucks and this doesn’t,” Remus said flippantly. “How can you hang on to the past when it hurts so bad? We’re not only not alone, but they trust us. Like, a lot. Nobody’s ever watched us with a side-eye or made sure we weren’t doing anything bad. Hell, they gave me a knife!” Remus said, flipping out a whittle with a smooth wooden handle. “I told them I wanted one, and they were fine with it! There’s a woodpile out near the pump outside the kitchen that we can just have at is what they told me. They didn’t assume I was gonna stab anyone. They thought I wanted to whittle. Which is surprisingly popular here? What a weird hobby,” Remus said, flipping the knife in and out of the handle.

“Remus,” Virgil snapped. Remus closed it and hooked it back on his belt.

“Right. Virgil, we’ve got a family now. They like us, they feed us real food. We can interact as much or as little as we want. There’s no pressure to join them for meals or their morning exercises or anything. They have some kind of evening shindig every night, too. Everybody gets one cup of non-medical mead and they unwind and just chat. Last night somebody was playing djembe and smoking a blunt. He said you kicked ass at djembe last week,” Remus said.

“Last week?” Virgil asked nervously. “I thought we were here for a few days. How much time did we lose?”

“I haven’t asked. I think we’ve been gone at least 10 days if the new moon is in 3 days. It was full-ish when we went out drunk. I think we were initiates for a week based on what people were saying last night. Normally it takes years to form a link or whatever, but they fast-tracked us because we’re seers and already have one or something? I think we’re technically apprentices under Damien. That's probably why we have titles and the other acolytes don't,”

“Holy shit, Remy’s gonna kill us,” Virgil said shakily. “I feel the worst about leaving without telling him. I don’t really give a shit about what my parents think, but Remy was one of us, you know? Does that mean he’s stuck all alone with his stupid abusive dad? I know he has other friends, we’re so much closer! His other friends are shitty to him, who’s there to support him?” Virgil said, starting to freak out. Remus reached out and put an arm around Virgil, squeezing slightly to apply pressure.

“Hey, it’s okay. He’s a big kid, and he’s always found his own parties, and he’s been able to sneak around his dad without us,” Remus said consolingly while Virgil sniffled. “I mean your house is empty, if he dyed his hair purple and wore your clothes, he could probably take over your life. I don’t know if your parents even know what you look like with a tan,” Remus chuckled.

“I wish I could tell him to do that. He’s got friends who can drive to use my grocery money. Fuck, they might notice I am gone when the grocery money isn’t gone,” Virgil realized suddenly. “You don’t think anybody can find us here, right? I… I don’t want to have to go back. We’d be in so much trouble, Ream,” Virgil said shakily. Remus pulled him into a bear hug.

“It’s fine. What are they gonna do, wander in the woods for a few days, dowsing for dragon lines?” Remus asked sardonically.

“…Days?” Virgil asked quietly after a very pregnant pause.

“We arrived in the evening... So at least one day. I guess our outdoor survival skills were really up to snuff,” Remus supposed proudly.

“That… that’s kind of cool,” Virgil sniffled slightly and hugged Remus back. “They always said my ability to identify plants was useless in the real world,” Virgil chuckled slightly. “My parents hated that I like plants. Wanted me to do something ‘feasible’. I don’t even know what that _means_ ,”

“I’m pretty certain it’s an asset here. Damien said if you wanted to work in the flower garden in the evenings, that would be fine. We apparently already know the guy,” Remus offered. Virgil could want to punch the sun, and Damien would want to give it to him. He’s keenly aware of Virgil’s mood for someone who just met the guy. He's been pretty great to Remus, too, really. 

“I… I’ll think about it,” Virgil mumbled into Remus’s chest and slowly let go. Remus let him go as well, and Virgil returned to the rice porridge. “I’m still really disoriented right now. I don’t know if I could even find it,”

“Somebody who typically works there can show you how they do things and what they’re trying to do. They’re all like, really excited to help us out. I don’t know if they get lots of new people here. They don’t go into the city much for supplies, either,” Remus explained.

“Yeah, I noticed. The pump bidets take some getting used to,” Virgil chuckled nervously.

“At least it’s not leaves or whatever,” Remus rolled his eyes. “There was a bidet at my house,”

“And I literally _never used it_ ,” Virgil said firmly, looking very serious for a discussion about butt water.

“It’s really neat to have all these people falling all over themselves wanting to teach us stuff and talk,” Remus said starrily.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t go mad with power, there, Ream,” Virgil groaned and took a small bite of the eggs.

“Bitch I might,” Remus said cattily. Virgil looked dour again. Shit, that was too Remy. “I’m with Damien, he’ll probably stop me from doing anything stupid. He’s really cool. I mean, he clearly thinks I’m weird, but doesn’t act like it’s some big problem,” Remus said, trying to change the subject.

“Well, you are weird. But weird’s good here, right? You’re probably not that first morbid seer or anything. I mean, the job description is literally seeing things, right?” Virgil offered.

“Now you’re getting it,” Remus smirked and lightly pushed Virgil. Virgil gave him a weak smile.

“I… I’m just worried about Remy. But there’s nothing I can do about it, anyway. I don’t even know where we are, much less how to get back home. We can’t reverse dowse. I don’t know how far we walked, but if we even walked 8 hours, we could be as far as 30 miles away,” Virgil said seriously.

“Virge, I thought you were bad at math,” Remus laughed.

“It’s about an hour for 4 miles, I can do multiplication in my head,” Virgil grumbled. Remus was more impressed at the weird trivia. Remus knew 6 ways to purify water in the wild, but never actually looked up how far he could walk. “I mean if anything, it’s weird he’s not weirder. He… talks kind of funny. But otherwise, he’s kind and sarcastic and fun to talk to. You’d think he’d be weirder like us,” Virgil mused.

“He was born and raised here, where he wasn’t told he was weird for seeing things. He’s a 3rd generation or something. Maybe we’re just a product of society,” Remus shrugged.

“You think society makes you think about murder all the time?” Virgil asked derisively.

“Well, the murder had to come from somewhere. If I grew up farming and dragon partying and when I saw things people would cheer instead of being ostracized, maybe things would be different,” Remus shrugged again, eating more of the eggs.

“I… yeah, that’s fair,” Virgil said. “I never saw things, though, I don’t get how I’m suddenly a seer,”

“Oh, you’ve seen things when drunk! But you’re good at interpreting signs. Like D said before. I know we were dicking around, but maybe especially bright stars means it’s time for libations. I don’t know! It’s not the first time you’ve said shit like that. I always took your word over the weatherman. Also, dude, you have to go out at night. Since there're no lights anywhere near here you can see, like, so many stars. It’s amazing. We should go out tonight! They might let me on the roof with you there,” Remus said brightly.

“What _is it_ with you and roofs?” Virgil said humorously.

“I dunno! Maybe it’s meaningful, and maybe it’s not. I think they already know you’re like, 90% of my impulse control and wouldn't let me last night,” Remus smirked.

“You did cut all the midriffs off your shirts that week I had the flu,” Virgil smirked. “You’re, uh, feeling kind of manic today,” Virgil added carefully. “Are you sure I shouldn’t go out with you?”

“I’ll warn D to send for you if I get out of hand or something. Read the books and catch me up, yeah? It’s so cool here. I'm vibing with it. I mean, I miss electricity and video games. But everything else can go fuck itself. You’ve always loved this book-y lore shit. You read all those books in Oblivion. You know, like, way too much about the Daedra. You can get on my level and we can leave this mopey shit behind and crush it as seers. You know I’m always here to protect you. We’ll bolt as soon as there’s trouble,” Remus said emphatically. Virgil nodded carefully.

“Yeah, yeah. You’re right. I’m always going to be anxious. But this is basically the dream. I mean, I know we always only kind of joked about it… but we clearly weren’t just joking or we wouldn’t have joined. I can mope or I can start trying this stuff I’ve always wanted to do. And we’re a team, so I can fall back on you if I get overwhelmed,” Virgil said resolutely.

“That’s the spirit!” Remus cheered victoriously and shoved the last piece of bacon in his mouth. “Kick back and chill and we’ll figure this out one day at a time,” Remus smiled, getting up out of his chair. He ruffled Virgil’s hair. “Finish breakfast and get that witch-tit shower. The soap smells earthy and spicy, I nearly ate it, it smelled so good. I’ll get D to come eat lunch with us so you don’t have to worry about time. I’ll catch you in a few hours, V!” Remus announced as he headed to the door. Virgil gave him a salute and a half-smile as he left. 


	12. Remy - Not a Good Time, Babe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remy empties his drink to match how empty as Virgil's house feels.

Remy got off at Virgil’s bus stop. It was the third time this week. He was pretty certain that Logan kid gave him a weird look, but he didn’t say anything. If he calls Remy can always hang up on him. Remy really wished you could do that when you were talking to people in real life. Just say ‘click’ and now the conversation’s done. Because Remy was sick of talking about it. Sick of Logan’s questioning. He clearly wasn’t getting anywhere. Sick of Roman’s odd looks. Sick of Patton’s nice texts. Maybe he _needed_ a mom friend right now, but he didn’t _want_ one. He wanted his fucking friends back.

Remy checked the driveway, empty as usual, and unlocked the door to go inside. He took a deep breath. He could still kind of smell Virgil and Remus. Which was weird that he could smell that. But it was comforting. Remy veered into the kitchen and started the coffee. There was a hundred dollars bill of bills sitting on the counter. Oh. Virgil’s grocery money. It’s not like he’s here. Remy pocketed it. He was the one eating all this food, anyway. He could buy more groceries for when they got back. Or eat them all himself. He just got cheap lunch meat at home. Virgil would want him to, honestly. Remy could almost hear Virgil telling him to take it if he needed it. Roman had a car. He could take his dad’s car, maybe.

Remy pulled the chips out of the pantry and made himself a hot pocket. Once he had his shit meal in hand, he settled into the living room and flipped on the TV. The controllers for Mario Kart were still on the floor. Remy sneered at them and switched it to Netflix. He needed some escapist bullshit. Maybe he could just stay the night. It’s Friday night. His dad will probably be out drinking. Remy could do the same. There was a bottle of shit vodka with Remy’s name on it in there.

Remy shivered slightly after being a few episodes in. When did it get so cold in here, anyway? Remy looked around and sipped his coffee. It was pretty warm today, and he didn’t have any bruises, so he didn’t wear his jacket to school. Virgil never touched the thermostat. His parents must have kept it cold. Maybe that’s why all the hoodies. Remy paused his show and went up to Virgil’s room. He had more hoodies than any human being should.

Remy flipped through Virgil’s closet, trying to pick a thick hoodie. Some of these were pretty worn. There was one at the end that looked nice. Black, of course, Virgil owned everything black, the cute little emo. Remy pulled it off the hanger and shrugged it on. It’s a good thing Virgil always bought hoodies that were a size or two too big. The kid was pretty tiny. He turned around and looked morosely at the empty room. There were a few bottles of nail polish left out on the desk. He had a bin of nail stuff somewhere around here. Remy started pulling out dresser drawers and checking around.

It was under the bed. Remy swept the bottles from the desk into the bin and took the whole thing downstairs. He got a coffee refill, heavy on the vodka, and settled back on to the couch. It’s mani-pedi time. _Treat yo’ self_. Remy unpaused the show and started digging around in the bin. Virgil had a ‘that bitch’ red Remy had literally never seen him wear. It must have been Remus’s. He also pulled out a dark purple color that Virgil liked that he thought would go with it. Virgil did this streaky thing he called the 'waterfall technique' that he could pair them together with.

Remy kind of regretted never joining them when they painted their nails. Remus always did his toes garishly and Virgil had just started wearing brighter things on his toes, too. Remy remembered a bright glittery blue on his toes when they went swimming last time. Remy dug around for it in the bin. It was a pretty new bottle. Remy pulled it out and swirled it around. He may as well put it on his toes. Maybe with black. They both always wore black on at least one nail. Remy took a long drink of the vod-coffee.

Remy normally brought the gossip to their nail painting sessions. But he watched TV while they painted, usually, and chatted with them about the day. Remy dug out one of the three bottles of black polish and started filing his nails. He wasn’t really watching the show anymore, just kind of listening to the noises. He… kinda wanted to gossip to the empty room. Was that weird? He grabbed the remote and turned up the volume to drown out the silence. Remy sighed and took another long drink of the vod-coffee. There were another two cups in that pot. Might as well kill it all. It's just Remy here.

Remy was another vod-coffee in and painting his toenails alternately when Patton texted. Remy groaned and unlocked the screen.

‘What are you up to?’ Patton sent with a rainbow. Patton didn’t use to text him this much. Remy didn’t want his fucking pity.

‘Painting my nails,’ Remy sent with a photo of his still wet toes.

‘Pretty!  
But  
That doesn’t look like your house’ Patton replied.

‘Keen eye, sister  
I’m at a friend's' Remy responded to the text and grumbled to himself. Damn nosy friends being considerate.

‘Oh, that’s nice  
Do I know them?’ Patton sent.

‘Yup,’ Remy sent and took a sip of vod-coffee. He was definitely already feeling it. His nail painting skills were still pretty good, despite the haze washing over him. Remy should probably make dinner and eat it before he does his hands, though. Remy got up and shuffled carefully to the kitchen.

More hot pockets? Pizza? Pot pie? TV dinner? Cereal? Virgil didn’t exactly have real groceries. It was about the amount of effort Remy was willing to put out, though. Virgil was a genius. There was a bag of carrot sticks he pulled out to snack on while the pot pies were in the oven. Remy ate one with a very satisfying crunch as he sat down on the couch. Remus hated carrots, so these must be Virgil's. Or maybe Virgil picked them up knowing Remy liked to snack on them. Virgil did always get things for Remy knowing how little Remy got at home. It made Remy's heart hurt thinking about it. Patton had texted again.

‘Who?' Patton's text didn't merit responding. He was busy with his nails.

Remy?' Remy glanced down at his phone again with another message from Patton. Geez.  
You went to Virgil’s didn’t you?  
I’m coming over.’ Patton had sent. Boy, he was an impatient puppy.

‘You’ve never been  
Good luck finding it or whatever  
I’m fine, I’m eating vegetables and everything’ Remy sent and groaned when a response came just as he went to put it down again.

‘Logan gave me the address  
He’s worried about you, too’ Patton responded. Well, shit. He never should have told that skinny nerd anything.

Maybe he should have hit up his party friends and gone out. Then he wouldn’t have to deal with this shit. But Logan reminded him so much of Virgil in a weird way. He just… that quiet way he looks at things and analyzes them. How he’s kind of shy at school, but not anymore when he was alone with his friends. Same natural hair color. Logan told those deadpan jokes Virgil did. And Logan actually wanted to _do_ something about it. Remy honestly had hoped he could figure it out. It was probably too much to hope for.

Just like how Remy had been texting Roman more. Because Roman was dramatic like Remus was. And showy and loud like Remus was. And well, they were literally related. Roman was a much cleaner-cut, classic heartthrob kind of guy to Remus’s bad-boy punk vibe. Remy knew, in reality, they were nothing like his real friends. The ones who would be drinking and painting his nails with him right now, if they were here. Making fun of that very same Roman, probably. Remy Idly wondered if Roman would bring those boots Remus had that Remy always wanted to steal. Because there was no way Virgil was getting back this hoodie. This was Remy’s heartbreak toll. It wouldn’t hurt to ask Roman. Well, it would hurt, but maybe he could get boots out of it.

As mad as he was at them… he didn’t care anymore. He just wanted them to come back. Everything is shit without them. And so maybe he is trying to substitute his best friends with knock-offs. Maybe he is trying to get their clothes so he could have part of them near. None of that shit changes anything. His friends were gone. He didn’t know if they abandoned him, or if something really fucked up happened. He didn’t like either outcome.

But he couldn’t see them abandoning Remy willingly. Virgil would never. Virgil would throw a bitch fit. Remus would beat up anyone who tried to imply Remy wasn’t welcome. It had happened before at a party, even. Somebody tried to get a very drunk Virgil alone, but he wanted to grab Remy first. Virgil whined loudly, which attracted Remus’s attention, who was never far from Virgil, and Remus went ape-shit on them. Virgil, the absolute plastered legend, didn’t even notice he narrowly avoided something horrible happened, and just latched onto Remy. He even made fun of his-would be attacker as they got kicked out of the party, forgetting who they were with the swollen face. God, what an icon. Remy felt his eyes well up and threw back some coffee and went to wash his face with cold water. No, no, he wasn’t doing that. They were coming back, or they’ll get him. Something is stopping them.

A knocking at the door startled him. Virgil’s parents had the key. Why would they knock? They hated coming here anyway. Virgil said any little reminder of the other person always sets them off. Why would they be here? Remy plodded over to the door and opened it.

“Pat?” Remy asked in confusion when he saw tall Patton’s cute bleached box coils and shy smile. “How… did you get here?”

“I live in the neighborhood silly! I also have a car!” Patton said cheerily.

“Oh. Grats,” Remy said plainly. “What do you _want_ , babe?” He drawled sourly.

“Can I come in?” Patton asked with a big, weird smile.

“Um, not my house. Remus kind of liked you, I think, so probably. I think you scared Virgil,” Remy said, stepping back to let Patton in. Patton walked past and sat on the couch as the stove dinged. “Hold on,” He said and pulled his pot pies out of the oven. He put them on a plate and grabbed a fork and headed back into the living room.

“I made two for me, but if you’re hungry you can have one, I guess,” Remy said and set his plate down on the coffee table. “Pot pies are the bane of the roof of your mouth, so wait for a little for the lava to settle,” He warned.

“Thanks, kiddo,” Patton beamed. “Do you mind if I paint my toenails with you?” He asked.

“Whatever, babe. Bin’s right there,” Remy waved at the bin and pulled his feet back up to put a top coat over them. Patton leaned over and grabbed the bin, digging through slightly before pulling out a teal color.

“Where’s the base coat?” Patton asked.

“Next to the pot pies,” Remy grunted as he painted. “Why are you here?” Remy asked, feeling very annoyed.

“I told you, we’re worried about you,” Patton said sadly.

“Psh, when was that?” Remy waved him off and reached for his vod-coffee.

“I texted you that, you can just check your phone for the time,” Patton said, sounding concerned. “It hasn’t been that long since I sent it. Are you having memory problems?” Patton asked.

“That’s Remus. I’m just drunk,” Remy said sourly, switching to put a top coat on the other foot.

“Remington! You are _under-age_!” Patton shot. “Are you having that coffee to sober up?”

“Sure, let’s go with that,” Remy rolled his eyes. “If you just came here to _judge_ me for how I’m dealing with losing my _two best friends in the entire world_ , you can get the fuck out,” Remy shot angrily. “If you’re here to get drunk and paint your nails, you can stay,” He added with less venom.

“I… I don’t drink Remy! _We’re_ under-aged!” Patton said after a moment and Remy shot his arm out.

“Look! The door! My toes are still wet so I can’t kick you on the way out, but know that’s _normally_ part of the package,” Remy sneered.

“I… um…” Patton stammered, looking around.

“If you make me smudge my toenail polish, I will _flip my shit_ , Patton,” Remy growled.

“Fine! What… what are we drinking?” Patton said, sounding defeated. Remy was a little surprised the straight-laced Patton took the offer.

“Vodka. You can put it in coffee or soda or drink it straight. What’s your poison, babe?” Remy said, carefully getting up to mix Patton a drink. That way he couldn’t just claim he was drinking with a splash for scent.

“Soda?” Patton said questioningly. “Remy, I’ve never drank before, please don’t mix it strong,” Patton pleaded.

“Fine. You wuss. I’ll mix it light for your little baby liver,” Remy taunted him. He did actually mix it lightly. Just one shot for the whole glass of soda. Patton wasn’t a seasoned veteran like his _real_ friends were. Remy handed him the cup aggressively and sat down, drinking more vod-coffee.

Patton held the glass as if it would bite him. Remy rolled his eyes and put the topcoat back in the bin and grabbed the plate to cut into the pot pie and try to eat it around the edges.

“So, why aren’t you out with your other friends tonight, Remy?” Patton asked carefully.

“I’m not answering a single question until you take a sip,” Remy said derisively and cracked a crust.

“I have to drive!” Patton suddenly objected. And Remy already poured this bitch a glass!

“Babe, it’s one shot. You’ll be fine in two hours, tops. Just drink a shit ton of water. If you really don’t want to drink, you can just leave. I don’t need your _pity_ and I don’t need your _company_ ,” He pointed his fork at Patton with a dark look.

“Really? That fast? Aren’t… you _worried_ about Virgil’s parents coming home?” Patton asked carefully.

“If I dyed my hair purple and changed into black skinny jeans, they’d never tell the difference. They both live with their fuck-buddies or whatever. I don’t know if they’ve even looked Virgil in the eye in a year. They both hate that he’s a reminder they were ever together, along with this house. Even if they knew it was me, it’s not like his parents don’t know me. We’ve been friends for years. They’d assume Virgil nearby. My dumb dad wouldn’t let me be over here are much as Remus was, but I’m a _staple_ in this household,” Remy said angrily. “I mean it. Two hours tops of being tipsy. Or you can leave now. It’s like, what, 7? You’ll be home before 11 if you stay. If you leave, _maybe_ I’ll text back, _maybe_ I won’t,” Remy offered.

“No, I want to stay. I’m curious about what’s so special about it. I just… Mom always says it’s _bad_ ,” Patton says.

“It sure is bad, babe, just like me. As long as you don’t wander outside in the dark, probably nothing bad will happen other than a headache tomorrow,” Remy said bitterly. “I’m serious, you’re not going outside drunk,” Remy added. Woah. Where did _that_ come from? Remy took a sip of his drink and Patton followed suit. Patton grimaced and held out his tongue from his mouth, scared to put it back. “Yeah, it’s shit vodka. Doesn’t taste great. Virge’s lucky his parents’ll buy him any at all. Some kind of ‘as long as it’s in the house’ thing, like in Mean Girls,” Remy rolled his eyes and picked at the pot pie. Patton reached over and picked off a piece of crust to put on his tongue.

“That’s foul, Remy,” Patton grunted.

“Absolutely. Hence the Fubar. When the cards tell you to drink, you drink,” Remy said. “But I don’t really care about the flavor much anymore. It’s hard to care about anything,” Remy said plainly.

“Aw, kiddo-” Patton tried to start.

“Nuh- _uh_ , bitch, what did I say about _pity_? You wanna _talk_? _Drink_ the drink and drop the _pity_ ,” Remy reiterated. “We talk about this shit with a drink, so it’s easier to talk. It’s not _easier_ if you’re fucking worrying over me like I'm a baby,” Remy took another bite of pot pie. Patton sighed and took another sip. 


	13. Remy - Buckle up Bitches, Were're Going Down Sad Street

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remy's... not doing too great.

“Not _as_ bad the second time. Still _foul_ ,” Patton said after a moment of popping his lips like he was trying to get the flavor of the shitty vodka off his tongue. He shivered slightly. But he was making an effort. You just don’t talk about this kind of stuff without a drink. Remy leaned back and stared at the ceiling for a moment.

“Shame we can’t get that little nerd Logan over here. _That kid_ could use a drink. Virge told me his dad’s been trying to make that kid a doctor and shoved a stick up his ass the day he was born,” Remy said flippantly.

“No! Logan’s dad isn’t that bad! He’s _nice_! He took us to the aquarium just last month and got us ice cream!” Patton insisted.

“Yuh-huh,” Remy deadpanned. “ _Sweetie_ , remind me what your mom does for work again?”

“She’s a doc- oh. Do… Do you really think so?” Patton asked quietly.

“I haven’t hung out much with him. Virgil was closer to him. I’m just saying what Virgil said. He’s a chatty drunk,” Remy explained.

“Do you… want to tell me about that?” Patton asked, tentatively taking another sip. Remy smiled.

“Oh, Virgil’s so funny when he’s drunk. He’s a weird kid, you know? He’s so quiet and withdrawn at school. He comes home, and he’s snarky and tells deadpan jokes. Then when he’s drunk, he’s so playful and alternates between saying sweet things and threatening you. There’s so much to him. He’s really smart, but he just gets scared so easily and psyches himself out. So he’ll start saying something interesting and drop it as if nobody cares. We’re always prodding him to open up more and finish telling us stuff. He's just so affectionate but he's always trying to hide it until he's drunk, then he's sitting on your lap and playing with your hair and telling you what flowers your eyes remind him of between cursing and laughing. He's a feral little emo with a giant heart,” Remy said wistfully.

“What’s Remus like drunk?” Patton asked, taking another small sip.

“Babe, it’s much easier to just throw it back. The little sips just burn your tongue more. Here, like _this_ ,” Remy said, throwing back the last of his vod-coffee.

“That’s coffee! That _also_ burns, but nothing as bad as this,” Patton said, holding out his tongue. Remy laughed heartily.

“Oh, _honey_ , no, this is vod-coffe. I… I was going to walk home, but like… what’s the point? Why not just get blackout drunk here? I can always get beat another day. I’d just stay here forever if he didn’t know exactly where to look for me. And maybe he’d take away Remus’s keys. And Remus needs those. For when he gets back, you know? I never got a copy because I didn’t want him to take it. You’ve had… like…,” Remy tried to tally it up in his head. “I’m too drunk for fractions. There’s one shot in that glass. I’m maybe 12 deep,” Remy slurred the ending slightly.

“Rem- No, sorry, you said, no pity. Are you _sure_ you should have any more? What if you get alcohol poisoning?” Patton looked probably the most concerned he had all night. “How much water have you had?”

“Uh… whoops. Just the coffee,” Remy drawled. “How about you go get me a pitcher of water from the kitchen, babe,” Remy said. “I… probably am going to throw up, just to warn you. How about you get me an empty pitcher, too, just in case,” Patton nodded quickly, and he heard cabinets slam while the room spun just a little. It didn’t really hit him until he realized how much he drank. How weird is that? Remy was completely fucking faced. He cheered.

“What, what happened?” Patton asked, rushing back with the two pitchers, one full of water.

“I’m just, completely wasted! Mission accomplished! It doesn’t hurt when I think about my friends being gone!” He cheered again. “Thanks for coming over and _mom-friending_ all over me or I might not have noticed!” Patton frowned and pushed the two pitchers towards Remy. Remy took a big swig of water and ate his pot pie. That would settle his stomach. And hopefully hurt less to throw up than a hot pocket and coffee. He leaned back and giggled. “What were we talking about?”

“I asked you what Remus was like drunk,” Patton said, leaning back with Remy.

“So he’s regularly kind of unstable guy, and people think that makes a scary drunk. But he’s really not. He’s a super protective and loyal drunk. And he likes to just lay back and chat when he’s drunk. I don’t get why people are afraid of him. He wouldn’t hurt a fly that didn’t deserve it. He talks about dark stuff all the time, but he’s always upbeat. It’s not like he’s going to actuallydostuff. He just thinks about it. I think voicing them just helps get them out of his head. Right, drunk Remus.

“The best part of him being drunk? That’s bodyguard thing he does? It’s like, intensified. He’d fight a breeze for ruffling Virgil’s bangs or a bug for startling me. He just wants to make sure you’re the happiest fucker in the room. And he’s really doting about it. It’s so attentive and he listens really well and instead of keeping that more subtle, he’s out and about at it as a drunk. I mean, he’s always attentive. They both are. I moved here in middle school and when they saw me, they really saw me, you know? And they didn’t let go. They…

“I know I’m the _party friend_. I know I’m the guy you only hang out with temporarily. People don’t like me when I open up, and I’m ‘impossible to put up with long term’. They like me when I’m drunk and beating them at pool or something. We say ‘hi’ in the halls and stuff, but I’m always kept at a distance. They don’t care where the bruises came from and don’t ask how I’ve been. I’m fun when they’re drunk, but I’m bitchy and rude when they’re sober. I'm too much. Too extra. Virgil and Remus never did that. Virgil… Virgil just latched on to me one day. His parents' marriage was already on the rocks in middle school. He… kind of got it, you know? They’d yell at him for problems he didn’t cause. Just like my dad. They don’t beat Virgil, of course. There was just a lot of screaming. They didn't even wait for us to leave the house. Remus usually held me in another room, because I would freak out, you know? Until they started ignoring him, anyway," Patton was tearing up, but he didn't say anything or interrupt Remy. 

“But he knew, you know? He got me. And Remus was there to want to beat the shit out of my dad for me. He was _twelve_ , of course, so what could he really do? But he made sure that nobody else would touch me. The kids who were mean to me in school weren’t mean anymore. They were too scared of Remus. Which is fucked up, you know? It’s not his fault he hallucinates and sometimes struggles with what’s real. And we got older and people were always like, ‘oh, we need the gay guy at the party. We need a gay friend.’ And Virgil could get alcohol. And it was easier to make friends. And Virgil and Remus never judged me for wanting to feel accepted. If anything, they were jealous sometimes. But I got them into parties, too. And we’ve had so much fun together.

“Virgil’s… Virgil’s so weird about parties. He has to pregame. He can’t stand to be in a packed room without already being drunk. So… we had to watch him at parties. Because he was drunk and getting drunker. And he enjoyed being there and chatting. Like I said, he’s a chatty drunk. I’m a chatty all the time, so I’m a ranty drunk. You’re good, right?” Remy asked, taking another big swig of water.

“Yeah. Go ahead. I don’t mind. There’s a lot you want to get off your chest, right?” Patton said gently.

“I do. I really do. Who am I supposed to talk to? They’re… they’re not here. And I’m so afraid of what that means. For me. For them. Are they even okay? Did they suddenly change their minds and abandon me? What am I supposed to do without them? I can’t just go home every day to my asshole dad. I just can’t. Not without them. And before you ask, they tried to call CPS. I fell down the stairs, according to him. He’d have to hospitalize me before they do anything. He… only does it when he’s mad. It’s not like it’s every day. But he gets mad when I show up late and ‘hide things from him’… and I’m… I’m acting differently. Because my best friends aren’t here, getting drunk with me and laughing. So he thinks I’m ‘hiding things’. And eventually, when he finds nothing, I’m gonna get it. And I’ll survive. I always do. It doesn’t mean I’m not scared of it,” Patton looked he might ugly cry, but he didn’t say anything. Remy drank some water and leaned back again, changing the subject.

“Anyway, Virgil at parties, right? He’s such a sweetheart. He… I was thinking about this earlier. He nearly got raped at a party,” Patton gasped loudly. “Super drunk little twinky part-Asian kid? Super fetishized. He didn’t even realize, even after Remus had to come to beat that kid’s face in. They got kicked out, Virgil was fine, nobody blamed Remus for beating him up. But Virgil, he just… He clung on to me when I came over. And he kept telling me that he met this nice guy who was gonna take us to waffle house. Because I mentioned earlier that night I wanted pancakes, so he went and found someone who would drive us. But that someone was just lying to get him alone, of course. But after he was kicked out, Virgil couldn’t find him. And he was so excited. He really had no idea what was about to happen. And Virgil’s… anxiety central. So we never had the heart to tell him. He wouldn’t deal with it well. He’s just… so sweet.

“I… um… I don’t think even Remus knows this, but we nearly kissed once. He’s clingy drunk, I told you that already. And we were watching a movie and cuddling. Remus was already passed out. And we were laughing about something. And I dunno, we… locked eyes for a moment. And I think we were both considering it. But we both backed off. I think we both knew kissing drunk would be fucked up. Virgil’s like… all about consent. And being drunk isn’t consent. But… I kind of wish we did sometimes. I don’t know if he really likes me or if he just needs affection, you know? He’s always a little nicer to me than he is to Ream. So maybe he likes me? I don’t know. I just don’t know.” Remy started speeding up. “Maybe I like him? We’ve been friends for 5 years. That’s a long time. I _think_ he’s gay. He never mentioned it. I think he could pass as straight if you weren’t looking too close. Remus would know. He watches Virgil like a hawk,” Remy realized he was spiraling a bit and took way too large a bite of pot pie to stop himself.

“Hey, Remy, don’t choke! It’s okay! I get it! You’re not sure. It’s okay to not be sure. It’s a long time to be friends. It’s okay to be scared of changing things, it’s okay to not know what you’re looking for,” Patton said reassuringly and pat Remy’s shoulder as he hugged some more water.

“Is it, though? Because what if he’s gone for real and I never got to tell him how much I cared!” Remy shot. “Because I do! I care so damn much! He cared for me when I couldn’t even care for myself. He cared for me when I didn’t think I was worth caring for! They both did! And I knew they were hurting! I did! I knew they needed help, but I didn’t know how to give it to them! Things were… getting hard for them. Virgil especially wasn’t dealing with things well. He was tetchy and really stressed about his grades, and the divorce is almost final and neither of his parents have even talked about what’s going to happen with him because neither of them wants the house or seem to want him. And I think Remus was hallucinating more. Virgil was always keeping a hand on him at lunch. Whenever he gets stressed, it would get worse. So that meant he was getting really stressed.

“And I knew these midterms wouldn’t be easy for them. But I couldn’t risk getting laid out before the midterms and missing them, so I had to go home. I left after dad did when I found out they were drunk. I needed a drink too, you know? Things are getting really… overwhelming! So when they called, I got over here, and we had fun. I thought it would help. I really did. It always helped before? And I had to get home before dad did so he wouldn’t know I was gone. I… should have just taken the risk. I could have just taken the bus with Virgil and gone home after school as Remus does. I could have dodged a beating before the test that way too! It… didn’t occur to me. I’ve just always done it one way, and-” Remy rambled.

“Woah, woah, woah, Remy, pal. This is kind of sounding like you think it’s your fault they left,” Patton said.

“Well, _who else_ would have stopped them? I knew they were really drunk! I assumed wrong that they’d do things the same they always did. _Nobody else_ pays any attention to them, Patton! _None_! It’s been days! Have Roman’s parents called the cops? No! ‘He’s with Virgil’! And he’s in trouble when he gets home for ‘not checking in’! Has Virgil’s Parents? No! They left him grocery money and not even a note!” Remy hissed and angrily ate more pot pie. It tasted terrible, but he didn’t really care.

“Remy, it’s not your fault! It’s not! They’re almost adults. Logan says they are an ‘effective and resourceful duo’. He thinks if they weren’t kidnapped, they’re probably okay. And the statistics of them being kidnapped are low,”

“Remus doesn’t believe in statistics,” Remy hissed. “He says they do nothing but obscure the truth,”

“Statistics can be misleading, but they represent the truth. It’s just in a context that’s bigger than most people have the frame of mind for,” Patton supplied.

“God, you’re as bad as that Logan kid. Have a goddamn drink. You’re a _child_ , okay. We’re kids. Legal adult is a bullshit line, I don’t care how close we are. We should be trying new things and learning what we want to do. We should be laughing and playing. We should be not stressed out and quoting our parents when there’s nothing else to say! We’re our own fucking people!” Remy spat.

“Yes, we’re our own people. I’m sorry. I’m trying to say that the odds are on our side that they aren’t kidnapped. I don’t know about everything else. Logan is still trying to figure out the possible options,” Patton said.

“And Logan’s a kid, too! He’s a year younger than us! Virgil said he skipped a year! Why is he playing detective for a missing children’s case? Why won’t any adults fucking do anything? Why is it on us!?” Remy growled, eating more pot pie and chugging more water while Patton looked ahead in fright.

“I don’t know! I can… try to ask my mom to have people look into it?” Patton said.

“And they’ll ask the parents. Who don't care enough to look,” Remy said sourly, grimacing at his own words. Patton tried to raise his arm to touch Remy reassuringly, and Remy pushed it away and put the half-eaten pot pie down. He took another swig of water and sighed.

“Listen. They were always watching out for me. They were always trying to make things better for me. Virgil tried to give me a key. He offered to let me stay with him. Even when he was 14. He said he’d hide me if my dad came. Remus swore up and down if my dad got near the house he’d beat the shit out of him. But they would have been in so much trouble. And Remus? A mentally ill half-black person with a history of battery? It would ruin his life! They were always trying to look out for me, no matter the risk. And… I was trying to look out for them in return. And… they’re not here, Pat, they’re just not…” Remy hiccuped. “I… I just can’t believe they’re not…” Remy broke down sobbing mid-sentence. Patton pulled Remy into a hug while he cried into the pitcher. 


	14. Virgil - Distinctions and How they can Bite you in the Ass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil reads a book and is confused.

Virgil kind of wished he could listen to his music while he read. He kept getting distracted. It was really interesting stuff. Even if he didn’t fully believe it, it was fascinating. But finding out how long it had been… How long they had left Remy to fend for himself. It shook him. Virgil would start running right now if he had any idea where to go. There was no point in running wildly in a random direction and hoping for the best. But Virgil kept glancing out the stained glass window. Like part of him wanted to try. But that would be so dumb. He knew that wouldn’t work. But why did he keep looking? Virgil used the ribbon bookmark and closed the book. He sighed and nervously pulled out his map. 

The atheneum. It was like a little library, according to Remus. Maybe the smell of books and the rustling of pages would help. The most bullshit thing about no electricity is if you want a bop, you have to find a team of people to play a bop. Hands down the worst. The cold shower sucked, but it wasn’t the worst thing. The soap really smelled amazing. Not edible amazing, but Remus did often have intrusive thoughts about eating soap products. That wasn’t new. Virgil put out the candelabra with a quick puff of air. He triple checked the path and tentatively opened the door. This hall was empty, so he could work up the courage to step out alone. The atheneum was connected in the hall with the initiates, so he’d have to cross the room sanctuary part of the sanctuary. He knew this place was added on to, but it really had a terrible layout. 

There weren’t too many people here this time of day. They probably had lots of work to do just to keep the compound running. He saw one of the initiates who waved excitedly. He looked like he was babysitting a younger sibling or something. They seemed to basically be interns when they weren’t doing the apprentice thing. They did very little religious type stuff most of the time, at least of what Virgil had seen. There was a good chance Virgil had just been missing it for ‘recovery’. Virgil gave a weak smile and went into the main part of the sanctuary. Just some older acolytes chatting, and they didn’t seem to notice Virgil. Maybe because he had pulled his hood up. He was definitely the only person here with purple hair, and it seemed easier to blend in this way. He hoped it washed out to that lavender color again instead of that awful color it was when Virgil bleached it. 

He went back into the first hall they woke up in and took the first door on the right. The other door leads to the showers and bathrooms. This hall had more rooms. It was weird that there were families here, but they didn’t seem to need their own houses. They were happy with large rooms. One of the ones near the end of this hall was the atheneum. Fuck. He couldn’t remember which one. He quickly pulled out his map and checked. Okay. 3rd door. He exhaled and opened the door. 

“Sir Virgil! Good to see you. How may I help you today?” A man chimed at a desk near the door. Virgil nervously held up his book. “Place to read or you would like help with the text?” He asked. Virgil froze for a moment and held up one finger. “The first one? Walk straight towards the windows and there’s a couch against that wall,” He supplied. Virgil nodded and hurried over to the window. The couch… wow. This couch was comfortable. It was kind of warm from the sun through the windows. And only a few of them were stained glass. So it was mostly natural light, which was easier to read by. Virgil had been reading by candlelight in their room, and that danced around the page. It would be a trek to the bathroom or to get more water, but Virgil pulled up his feet and opened up the book again to take another stab at reading. 

-

“Hey, V!” Remus said right over Virgil. Virgil jumped at the sudden noise and looked into Remus’s wide toothy grin. “You weren’t in our room, so I asked around at lunch and the librarian guy said you were here. Too hard to read in the room?” Remus asked, holding out his arm. Virgil nodded quietly and flipped the ribbon into his place and closed the book. He took Remus’s arm and stood with him. “To lunch!” He declared. Virgil kept his arm in Remus’s and followed him back to their quarters. 

“We’re back!” Remus announced to Damien, sitting at the table and eating a baked potato and pork medallions. Damien smiled brightly at them. 

“How have you been feeling this morning, Virgil?” He asked spiritedly. Virgil shrugged and sat down. 

“Bad!” Remus chirped. Virgil rolled his eyes and flipped off Remus, taking a stab at the potato with his fork. 

“Virgil, please,” Damien said exasperatedly. 

“Sorry,” Virgil rolled his eyes. 

“I assume that gesture is affectionate from you to him, I’ve seen you do it so much,” Virgil flushed slightly and Remus laughed. 

“You pinned him,” Remus said, cheerily eating. 

“I’m talking about your problem with voicing issues,” Damien said. “You are re-reading the texts, I’m sure you recall multiple mentions of emotions being an important part of the wellbeing and capable of disrupting communication,” Virgil groaned. He had a read mention of that. “Stop being petulant and let somebody help you,”   
  
“ _I’m_ not the problem. My friend, who isn’t here, is the _problem_ ,” Virgil said bitterly. 

“If they aren’t here, how are they are a problem?” Damien asked rather nonchalantly. 

“I… the problem is he _isn’t_ here. I don’t know if he’s okay. I’m worried about him,” Virgil said and took a small bite of the potato. Damn, even home-grown potatoes were better tasting. The entire world was missing out. 

“It’s the season of the wind in three days, Virgil, you could contact him,” Damien said. 

“The texts say radio-frequency is forbidden, and I’m positive my phone is dead either way. Not that I know where it is,” Virgil grunted.   
  
“Virgil, perhaps were not made aware, but we do have an internet connection. It is simply forbidden to use electricity outside of the season of the wind, so it does not come to the forefront often. And your personal effects you came here with are in the storehouse with the electronics. You turned them over when you were asked to join us, remember?” Virgil remained quiet. He didn’t remember.   
  
“That’s great, you can contact Remy and see if he’s okay!” Remus said and squeezed Virgil’s shoulder. 

“What if… what if I’m acutely aware that he’s not okay already,” Virgil started slowly, not sure how to ask this. “Is… is there anything we could do to help him? He’s… not a seer,”   
  
“If you think he may be happier with us, he can join the initiates,” Damien offered. “We don’t actively seek membership unless our numbers dwindle too low for important rites. I believe other than you, our last new members found us through our website. But that doesn’t mean we’re incapable of accepting new blood. Unless you mean he is ill. I’m afraid we don’t have any doctors and we would not give initiates any milk outright. We have to be very sure it will not kill him,” Damien stated, sounding very blase. Shit, he hadn’t gotten to the part with the milk yet. There’s a chance they could have died? 

“So, if he was interested, he could meet up with some members when they go into town and they’d bring him back? We don’t exactly know where to tell him to go,” Remus asked. 

“Yes, that could be arranged. I agree that the way you two got here was rather unorthodox for the way things usually go. I think the area you described starting from is some odd 50 miles from here,” Damien said, sounding very impressed and taking a drink. Remus whooped. “What?”   
  
“Well, we didn’t know how many miles we walked,” Remus offered. Virgil nodded, wide-eyed. So they walked for longer than 8 hours, then. Holy shit. Virgil shook his head.   
  
“Um, what if he’s not… happy with this life? Would we just take him back into town and let him be?” Virgil asked tentatively. 

“Well, I would think so. It’s quite unreasonable to expect anyone to walk for as long as you two did,” Damien said, a little confused. Virgil exhaled. “Does he have any skills you would consider to be a good fit here?” 

“He’s as much of a _gossip_ as the rest of you,” Remus laughed. 

“Yes, well, as you’ve mentioned before, it’s not always very _eventful_ here,” Damien explained awkwardly, sounding embarrassed. Damien must also gossip a bit to elicit _that_ kind of reaction.   
  
“He’s, well, I don’t know. But I have to try. I can’t just… _leave_ him like that,” Virgil said dourly. 

“Then we will try, darling. Your emotional needs are important. We will cart out the electronics after lunch the day after the new moon ceremony, assuming our visions this morning are accurate,” Damien said.   
  
“Oh, you had luck?” Virgil asked, perking up. 

“Yes. Remus isn’t a meditator, of course. He flipped a table. It didn’t go any better than the first time we tried,” Damien said, somewhat chidingly but mostly amused.   
  
“ _Technically_ , I only promised not to _attack_ anyone,” Remus reminded Virgil airily, eating too big a bite of potato.   
  
“But physical exertion plus the use of some gemstones out at the north site seemed to do the trick. Though I have to say that juggling gemstones is also somewhat unorthodox, as well,” Damien added proudly. 

“So the fire didn’t work again?” Virgil asked. 

“It is still burning, but no. He mostly just tried to stick his hand in it,” Damien looked to Remus with an odd expression and shrugged. Remus just grinned. “I considered summoning you, but we managed to extract him from the situation by throwing him a bone,”   
  
“Like… a treat?” Virgil asked curiously.   
  
“No, we _literally_ threw a bone at him. He caught it and looked at that instead," Damien rolled his eyes.   
  
“He said I can make it into a shiv!” Remus smiled and pulled the bone out from his belt. 

“An awl. For leather working,” Damien corrected him. 

“So… what were the results?” Virgil asked. 

“Earth in second, and water in third,” Damien smiled. “I found out the third position while Remus was attempting water meditation,” 

“It did not go well!” Remus smiled, picking at Virgil’s pork. He didn’t mind sharing with Remus. He ate a bite himself before it was all gone, though. 

“Yes, we both had to change. But while showing Remus I had a vision,” Damien said proudly. “It confirmed that it will be season of the wind, as well. Which means we can focus on seeing what the celebration rites should be and, of course, the logistics of it,” 

“So, a rainy season then?” Virgil asked. 

“What makes you say that, Virgil?” Damien asked curiously. “Water is in third,” 

“No, wind’s position with earth is what’s causing the rain. It’ll go dry as water shifts back since wind was in fourth and is combining with earth. Then get it’ll rainy as the wind carries change. I think the rain will bring water to the forefront or second, next change. It’ll keep raining on and off then. After that fire will probably come forward to balance everything again, especially with all the growth the rain will bring,” Virgil said. 

“Absolutely stunning, Virgil. I will make changes accordingly,” Damien said. 

“I… it’s just… I don’t know any better than you do,” Virgil mumbled. 

“Oh, like you’ve ever been wrong about the weather,” Remus rolled his eyes. 

“It’s a very complex system that I have barely begun to teach and you have explained it better than I could have told you,” Damien offered. “It’s more than 16 unique possibilities as the 4 elements interact, and you understand that more intuitively than the discussion on balance we had the other day,” Virgil flushed. He didn’t remember that discussion. He was just basing it on the two books he got through this morning. 

“I’m glad V gets it because I did not follow a single word of that,” Remus laughed. 

“I think perhaps we should utilize Remus’s need for physical exhaustion by having him help with building a new cistern to best take advantage of the rainy month,” Damien smiled mischievously. Virgil just chuckled, though. 

“ _Cool_ , I get to be a sexy lumberjack,” Remus smiled, eating more of Virgil’s medallions. Virgil ate more before Remus could finish them off. 

“I _will_ find something that _fazes_ you, Remus, mark my words,” Damien huffed. The need to help Damien be a punk between not spilling the tea on Remus’s weaknesses suddenly conflicted Virgil. Remus didn’t have a lot, but 8 years is a long time to get to know someone. “Virgil darling, are you alright?” 

“He won’t betray me,” Remus crossed his arms and smiled. 

“He’s right, I won’t. You’ll have to find his buttons yourself, D,” Virgil sighed. “Getting one over on you would be _so_ satisfying, though,” Virgil groaned. “I never got to pay you back for the water gun incident,” 

“If I knew what was in there, I wouldn’t have shot you with it,” Remus groaned in objection. 

“Yes you would have, you little bitch, you’d just draw it out,” Virgil hissed. 

“Gentlefolk, _please_ ,” Damien said, holding out his hands. “It is in the past, yes? Let’s leave it there where it belongs. I am glad you are feeling more energetic today, nonetheless Virgil,” Virgil grumbled and ate more potato. “Do you not have much of an appetite in the early afternoon? This isn’t the first time you’ve struggled with lunch,” 

“It’s just kind of heavy for lunch,” Virgil mumbled. 

“V, just eat the damn food, and maybe your body will get used to eating lunches again,” Remus said. 

“Virgil, were you skipping meals?” Damien asked with concern. 

“I-uh-” Virgil stammered. 

“Yes, Damien, I have been, but I’m embarrassed to admit it,” Damien said in a high voice. 

“Hey!” Virgil shot while Remus snickered. “My voice isn’t that high,” Virgil grumbled and pushed the tray towards Remus, who started in on the other half of Virgil’s potato without hesitation. 

“Your body is a temple, Virgil. Please take better care of it. The children generally get a sandwich and some fruit for lunches. If you ever think the meal sounds like too much, you can simply ask for that. They’re already preparing them, anyway, it will be no extra work. I know that is a concern for you,” Damien said plaintively. 

“Aw, but then I’ll get _less_ ,” Remus groaned. 

“Overeating is _also_ unhealthy. I understand you did not come from a place with very tentative parents, but you are adults. You should know how to eat by now,” Damien groaned. Remus snickered slightly as Virgil huffed. Shit, they lied and told them they were 18. Well. Nothing they could do to change it now. Remus’s 18th was in a few months, but Virgil had a little longer ways to go. They had to probably make sure they weren’t runaways. Virgil and Remus, of course, would have lied to join a cult, no questions asked. Alcohol or no alcohol. Virgil carefully sipped his apple juice and tried to not give anything away. 

“How is your sight feeling, Virgil?” Damien asked after the pause. He didn’t sound suspicious and probably just didn’t want to focus on Remus inhaling the baked potato. 

“I haven’t used it today, I dunno,” Virgil said. “I don’t really have a feel for it,” Virgil felt the glass nervously. 

“Did you not just use it to interpret the changing of the seasons?” Damien asked curiously. 

“Is… instinct distinct or indistinct from sight in this context?” Virgil asked carefully. 

“Indistinct,” Damien offered. 

“Than I have even less a feel for it than I thought,” Virgil laughed. “I thought it was that… buzzy feeling and then it kicks my ass. I don’t feel like my ass has been kicked,” 

“I suppose the texts you have read have been relatively unclear on the subject. There are journals from other seers to study in my room,” Damien suggested. Virgil nodded. He’d need to get through the other 10 books first, but he’d certainly put them on his reading list. 

“Virgil’s got stronger instinct than visions. Just like my instinct is garbage, but I can have lots of visions,” Remus supplies, swallowing a large bite. 

“Fascinating,” Damien mumbles. “I would love to take you out to see what may trigger something for you,” 

“No need,” Remus smirked. Virgil looked to him curiously. 

“What do you mean?” Damien asked, almost excitedly, leaning forward. 

“Show him the stars. I can almost guarantee something will happen. Call it an… instinct,” Remus smirked. 


	15. Remus - Live it up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laidback chill time.

Remus smiled smugly as Virgil’s eyes shined brightly, staring up at the stars. He was talking very animatedly about a feeling and the change and a bunch of more really complex dynamics that Remus just didn’t get. And Remus was pretty chill with just having visions and Virgil being a sign interpreter with a little crossover. If anything it just solidified that they were meant to be together for him. And maybe he was delusional. But this was a nice delusion if it was one. And maybe they were. The prophecy mentioned one seer. Maybe they acted as one seer. All that shit’s vague. He could ask Virgil later if he ran across the whole thing.

Remus leaned back and folded his arms under his head and stared up at the bright starry sky. There wasn’t much room on the roof, but they sat on an edge clear of the solar panels, huddled together against the slightly chilly night breeze. Virgil reached out behind himself and grabbed Remus’s arm and his breath hitched. So Remus sat up and gave him a tight hug to ground him again.

“You’re safe, V,” Remus said softly.

“And you swear you’re not gonna jump?” Virgil asked nervously.

“Eh, sky’s pretty up here,” Remus said dismissively and let him go, still holding on to his arm.

“It is!” Virgil shined. “It’s still… _very_ high,” Virgil mumbled. “And there’s… no railing,”

“So let’s get down. You had a seer thing already, right?” Remus said.

“D, did I have a seer thing?” Virgil asked carefully, and Remus chuckled.

“Yes, Virgil. We probably should get down. You’re right that there’s no railing and I’m concerned you may pass out if you go further. That would be… _messy_ at best,” Damien said carefully. Remus kept a hand on Virgil as he shifted over to the hatch that let them up on the roof. He slipped slightly as he pulled open the hatch, and Remus caught him easily. Virgil hissed and clambered down the ladder. Remus wanted to go last, but Damien glared at him until Remus shifted to go down the ladder himself. Remus rolled his eyes. Damien came down after Remus cleared the ladder and secured the hatch carefully with a lock.

Virgil grabbed nervously on to Remus’s robe sleeve and Remus pulled him in for a bear hug with a squeak like a dog toy coming out of Virgil.

“We’re done working, yeah? Let’s go join the party,” Remus smiled widely at Damien who smirked oddly and nodded.

“Need _air_!” Virgil squeaked again and Remus let him go.

“Whoopsie! Sorry Vi-vi,” Remus kept his hand on his arm as Virgil took a deep breath.

“Other than nearly suffocating, are you alright Virgil? And please answer honestly,” Damien asked pleadingly.

“I’d… kill for a drink,” Virgil offered as he took a deep breath.

“He says he’s tired and nervous and I’m an asshole for hugging too hard as much as he liked it,” Remus smiled. Virgil flushed and shot an angry look at Remus.

“I’m so glad you come with a _translator,_ Virgil,” Damien laughed. “Not that I dislike Virgil’s little delirious nickname that stuck, but it is technically inappropriate to call me that. So please call me by my full name at the gathering,” He added. Virgil nodded, stumbled slightly before moving forward, so Remus held out his arm for Virgil to hold on to as they walked to the sanctuary. Virgil huffed and slipped up his hood on to his head as they walked.

Virgil paused before they passed through the door to the sanctuary. There was laughter and chatter audible through the door and he stiffened from the noise.

“You do not have to join, Virgil, you’re welcome to go lie down. I do not attend most nights, myself,” Damien offered consolingly. Virgil shook his head and pulled his arm out of Remus’s, grabbing the back of his robes instead.

“V, everybody’s seen you latched onto me one way or another. Nobody cares,” Remus laughed. Virgil pouted and pushed Remus forward to tell him to open the door and go in.

“Sir Remus! And Lord Damien! What a pleasant surprise!” A voice spoke up as they walked in. Remus laughed that they couldn’t see Virgil hiding behind him. Maybe that was Virgil’s plan all along. “Thorn! Please pour them some glasses,” One of the kids in a brown robe nodded and hopped up right away. Remus recognized him as the guy who had been giving him extra bacon and gave him a huge grin and held up two fingers and pointed behind him to let him know Virgil was there without announcing he was there. Thorn nodded brightly and headed to the table with the mead in the corner.

Remus wasn’t interested in chatting with any old dusty guys like were bound to corner Damien, so he went to go sit with a circle of the initiates, Virgil sitting closely behind him. .

“’Sup nerds?” Remus asked as he sat down.

“Sir Remus! We were wondering if you were going to come again tonight. And um…” A guy… Felton, maybe? He paused and looked to Virgil. Remus just shook his head.

“There’s mead and weed and I’ve had a long day of lookin’ at stuff,” Remus smiled.

“Oh, yeah, sure. Hey, Ozzy, don’t hog the blunt,” Felton said, motioning for him to give it up. He passed it to the guy next to him until it ended up at Remus.

“Thanks,” He smiled and took a nice long draw and passed it behind him to Virgil as he held on. He felt Virgil draw against his back and passed it back to Remus, who let it out through his nose and passed it on to the next guy. Thorn handed Remus and Virgil their drinks and took his spot back in the circle.

“So?” Thorn asked expectantly.

“Season of wind,” Remus coughed slightly before taking a sip of the smooth mead. There was a little whooping and cheering for a moment.

“Finally. I’ve been waiting for ages to read the new Charging book,” A girl with a pixie cut said. He wasn’t positive, but he thought her name was Morgan.

“Screw reading, I want to play video games,” Osborne said, leaning back looking very relaxed.

“What do you guys have, anyway?” Remus asked.

“Oh, just older consoles and some laptops have Minecraft and a few other things,” Another girl said. She had a long name. Remus thought it started with an L.

“I will kick anybody’s ass at _any_ Mario Kart you have,” Remus announced confidently.

“ _Mario Kart Tourney_ ,” Felton hissed excitedly. Virgil threw his head back, probably taking a larger swig behind him.

“Yes,” The L girl smirked. “Don’t underestimate my luck with random items,”

“He could probably foresee whatever you’re going to get or something, Layfaette,” Thorn rolled his eyes. Virgil chuckled quietly behind him.

“Maybe I can, maybe I can’t, but lucky item draws don’t scare me,” Remus smirked. “ _Real_ Mario Kart skill is about driving fearlessly,”

“If you go off the track if sets you back like 5 seconds or something, why would you risk it?” Felton asked incredulously and took a draw from the blunt.

“And _that’s_ why I’ll be winning,” Remus laughed.

“Oh, we should set stakes. What’s something the loser can get?” Thorn suggested and Remus was handed the blunt again. He was glad he needed a few hits to feel it. Virgil should be good after this one, though, the tiny thing.

Remus took a long draw while they suggested things that weren’t that bad. He passed it back to Virgil who probably filled his entire lungs before handing it over. Remus passed it on for him. Remus let it out very slowly. They really grew good shit here. It had a nice body high without much mind high. Though they probably had mind high for visions somewhere. The glass of mead and a couple of blunts or joints around this room were all for winding down, though. And they said they didn’t have weed every night, either. They said it was pretty rare normally, and it’s usually only out for the new moon and full moon. The under 20s weren’t supposed to do it too often, something like monthly, but it was basically an honor system. The adults would watch, but you self regulated. Remus was glad he was not part of that group, because Remus and honor system just doesn’t go in the same sentence.

He wasn’t sure about everything else, but Remy would like this. The low key party with nice kids and nothing to look out for. Lazy conversation. All the initiates were pretty cool, no pressure, nothing mean, probably the least judgmental kids he ever met. The adults weren’t bad to talk to either. Though Remus had different problems than Remy. His experience probably wasn’t universal. Virgil slowly let it out behind him. Wow, he could hold like a champ for somebody so small.

“Loser listens to Remus’s theory about Mothman breeding. It sounds cool at first, but trust me, it’s not one you walk away from the same person,” Virgil piped up from behind Remus and slid under Remus’s arm to face the group. He was always a cuddly stoner. He’s just cuddly anytime he’s not thinking too much, really. There was a pause, but they laughed mirthfully.

“Okay, yeah, you know what? I love it. I don’t think I’d mind losing. That sounds like a blast,” Thorn said. Remy wouldn’t look him in the eye for like an hour after he told it, so Remus knew it was one of his odder ones. People not believing his theories about paranormal creatures never bothered him as much as getting upset at real-life theories.

“Hi, Sir Virgil!” Felton beamed at him. Virgil nestled into the crook of Remus’s arm.

“Hey,” Virgil gave a lazy salute.

“I don’t know if I want to hear about mothman breeding,” Layfaette said nervously.

“Then don’t be in the last place,” Thorn laughed.

“Let’s do it a few days in so we can all get some practice first. I don’t want us all to be sloppy around the track,” Morgan said. Virgil snickered. He was probably thinking the same thing Remus was. That they didn’t stand a chance. Virgil and Remus played aggressively.

“How much name-calling is going to be allowed?” Virgil asked and took a lazy sip of the mead.

“Um. Hm. It’s part of the fun, but I suppose we should draw the line somewhere,” Felton said considerately. Ozzy took a long draw and rolled his eyes, passing it on. “What, you know?” They all waited while he let it out.

“Yeah. It’s obvious, isn’t it? No personal insults, nothing obscene, and if anybody in the tournament says stop, you gotta stop for the night,” Osbourne suggested.

“Okay, _yeah_ , that’s perfect,” Thorn said with a shrug.

“Aw, but I’m _so good_ at obscene insults,” Remus whined.

“Remus gets an obscene non-personal insult at last place in the next tournament,” Virgil laughed.

“Weekly tournaments until season of the wind is over?” Felton suggested brightly. There was a cheer of agreement.

“Hey, where’s uh… what’s his name. Percy,” Virgil piped up. Who the fuck was Percy? He wasn’t here last night. How does Virgil know a Percy?

“He’s watching his little sister again tonight, she’s been having nightmares,” Layfaette explained lackadaisically and took a draw.

“You’ve been at it for a while and that’s a shortie now, mind if I kill the blunt?” Remus asked as Layfaette passed it on. There was a murmur of noncommittal noises.

“Yeah, I think it’s fine. We’re all pretty chill already,” Thorn said.

“Oh, Ream can do that thing where he can pull the entire blunt to dust, it’s really cool to watch,” Virgil said, leaning slightly to look up. Remus exhaled completely and started slowly drawing. You had to pull super slow or it wouldn’t work. Felton looked in awe and everyone else watched with vested interest until the blunt literally disintegrated itself between his fingers. Thorn clapped, and Morgan gasped. Felton’s jaw dropped.

“Oh, he gets the last hit every time. That’s some waste-not want-not magic,” Thorn said excitedly. Remus let it out slowly and happily drank some more mead for his now very raw throat. The very last bit of smoke was mostly papers. Did they make their own cellulose papers? That’s pretty cool. Remus sighed and leaned back, and Virgil nestled into him again.

“Um… Sir Remus. I’m sorry if this is presumptuous, but are you two dating?” Layfaette asked. Remus laughed loudly at that and Virgil shifted, probably to glare at her.

“Nope,” Remus reached up to ruffle Virgil’s hair under the hood. Virgil grumbled and fidgeted with his bangs before settling back against Remus. “People always ask. It was kinda rude, but I’ve asked worse,” Remus laughed. Layfaette looked a little embarrassed. “But now the rumor mill will handle it and I won’t have to answer that again. Virgil and I take care of each other. We love each other as much as friends or brothers could, and we aren’t going to stop. But we don’t make out or say romantic shit and there’s no butt stuff,” Remus chuckled again. Virgil smacked him. Morgan gasped.

“I’ll apologize for Sir Remus’s _crass_ comment,” Virgil groaned.

“No, that just sounds _painful_ ,” Morgan said. Layfaette laughed. Remus smirked. She’s done butt stuff.

“Which one?” Remus looked at her and asked. Layfaette turned bright red. “Hey, a rude question for a rude question, it’s fair play. You don’t have to answer,”

“What are you talking about?” Felton asked.

“Nothin’. Girl talk. Hey, is there any nail polish here? I’m mostly chipped,” Remus asked, lifting one of his hands to wiggle his mostly naked fingernails at them.

“Um. Hm. You can check the storage’s inventory. Most of us don’t wear it because it chips off so fast,” Morgan said. Remus sat up, and Virgil grumbled from the motion. He looked like he was getting sleepy. The roof probably drained more from him than he let on. Virgil mumbled something Remus couldn’t make out and snuggled in his arms.

“I can’t wait till somebody gives me an _axe_ ,” Remus chuckled.

“What?” Felton asked curiously.

“V saw a rainy month. We might make another cistern. I wonder if we could get an ass-load of sand and make the whole cistern a filter,” Remus mused.

“I don’t know if we could find that much fine sand,” Virgil mumbled. “It’d be more realistic to make a large one before it connects to the pipes. We’d still need a serious amount of sand, though,” Virgil yawned.

“Aw, a rainy month? When does it start?” Felton asked.

“Mm… it’s raining tonight. It’ll be dry for a week-ish before the rain starts,” Virgil grumbled, somewhat burying himself in Remus’s robes. “M’ head hurts. Ask later,” He said, flopping his hand vaguely in Felton’s direction.

“Virge, you’re not an 8 ball,” Remus chuckled and held Virgil gently.

“Reply hazy, try again,” Virgil groaned. Remus wrapped his arm around Virgil and pulled him in to lay more comfortably. Virgil shifted and angled his head away from the light. The candlelight in here wasn’t too bright, but he did fail at a recovery day again.

“Virgil’s tapping out, everybody say goodnight,” Remus chuckled slightly and Virgil waved vaguely as the others said ‘goodnight’ to Virgil humorously.

“I don’t do the weather. We’re off the clock anyway, we’ll just have to talk about _normal_ teenager stuff like boys, shoes, and what that bitch Jessica said in class today,” Remus said, smiling lazily and finishing the last part of his mead. He reached for Virgil’s nearly empty glass and swirled it a bit, watching the candlelight bounce in the glass.

“Percy _did_ say something in class today, though I wouldn’t call him a bitch,” Layfaette offered.

“Oh, dish, dish,” Remus smirked. Thorn rolled his eyes but leaned forward regardless.


	16. Remus - Oh.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil's probably thinking too much.

Virgil had been skittish all day. It was really cute, honestly. He didn’t want to mess it up, or something. But They didn’t actually have to do anything this new moon ceremony. They just had to stand pretty while Damien led it. There was some brief ritual stuff, but it was mostly libations and celebrations. They were going to get robe accents like Damien had, too. They’d still be apprentices under him for a full year but they were welcome to sit out of rituals until they were ready to join. Apparently it was more important to not be nervous than do everything perfect. That may be a lot to ask from Virgil, though.

Remus kept Virgil close today. Virgil was reading the journals, and Remus was whittling out in a gazebo near the sanctuary. It was completely empty, which was surprising since the day was pretty nice. Many of the people here worked up until dinner, though. They probably had an hour left until dinner. It was an off-day for them, but Damien had to make sure things were prepared. There was a stone-plaza type thing between the 4 elemental sites it was going to be held at.

Remus and Virgil had both gone a little overboard yesterday, according to Damien, while they were trying to pin down what the wind dragon wanted. Neither of them really remembered much by the time they woke up this morning. This job must have been hard on Damien to do alone. Maybe that’s why he seemed so genuinely relieved and excited to have company. It would explain why he was so patient with them, anyway. Remus wasn’t really used to this kind of treatment, but he never wanted to go back. People being patient and considerate with him hadn’t happened since he was a little kid.

Before there was an official seer and Damien took over, the dragons would just take out somebody during full moons with a vision that would put them out of commission for a week. It sounded brutal. Virgil probably understood it better. He was confident Virgil would help him when he was ready. Virgil seemed to want to read more ahead before giving Remus a low-down. He said there was both redundant and conflicting material he had to parse through. Remus could just read it himself if he got impatient, but Virgil was a great teacher and Remus got bored easily. Remus was thankful he was feeling drained enough from yesterday to be able to sit here calmly with Virgil. Remus caught him shaking in the shower this morning, and not because the water was ice cold.

“How’s seer Ira?” Remus asked.

“Competent. He’s a seer of the sun, which was as close as D could find to mine. Though it's really not close at all. He basically didn’t do anything at night and that was his answer. That seer Melody of the moon might have been a little closer. But she also didn’t solve anything since the sun doesn’t mess with her, she just could only work when the moon was out. I can do things in the day, I just get overwhelmed,”

“The sun’s a star,” Remus said.

“So?” Virgil asked, not taking his eyes off the book.

“Maybe you get all overwhelmed in the day because it’s just too much star,” Remus offered.

“Aren’t the titles mostly, I dunno, symbolic?”

“Damien said when I found out mine I blacked out, too. I think it’s important,” Remus shrugged. “It takes a lot of vision to black me out,”

“I think it’s pretty funny your intuition called mine before I saw mine,” Virgil smirked.

“It was probably more of a judgment call,” Remus said dismissively.

“That’s a kind of intuition. You know I don’t really get where the line is yet,” Virgil rolled his eyes. “That… discovery thing D made us do yesterday was intense, though. D said we both had to be carried back to our quarters. That vision mead blackout-me made is some serious fucking shit,” Virgil said seriously.

“D seemed stoked about it, though. I think he might have joined us if he didn’t have to do things today. I bet he tries it soon,” Remus said airily.

“What’s there left to see right now?” Virgil asked curiously. “I can’t think of anything other than, like, general welfare type stuff they don’t really need dragons to deal with. At least not for a few days,”

“He probably wants to work on dragon communing and make his own text. He studies these things all the time,” Remus suggested. “You think we can do the dragon communing thing? Actually talk to a fucking dragon?” Remus bounced slightly with excitement. Virgil gripped the beam of the gazebo as Remus shook him.

“Stop, dude, you’ve got a knife,” Virgil snarled. Remus settled down to tapping his foot and chipped away quickly at the block. “I dunno. I only get one vision a day, tops, and it’s blacked me out every time now. You can get like 3 or 4, though you don’t remember all of them yet. I think if anybody could handle it, you could,”

“That would be so. Fucking. Awesome,” Remus said excitedly.

“I’d wait until you exercise your third eye more or whatever, it would be shit to talk to a dragon and not remember it at all,” Virgil said.

“Oh, no! What if that’s already happened?” Remus moaned in concern and disappointment.

“I think you’d blackout if that were true. It’s supposed to be really fucking intense. Damien said the first time he talked to a proper dragon and not just a received a message he went out for 3 days,” Virgil said, nonplussed.

“Oh, man, that would be like the worst need to piss ever,” Remus said, in awe.

“No, he was bedridden and his sight was blasted. If he didn’t eat or pee for 3 days, he’d probably die or something,” Virgil groaned. “I’m not a fucking doctor,”

“Exactly. Maybe the sun being _too much star_ for you is a thing,” Remus insisted again. “We’d have to ask a dragon, probably. I’ll ask for you,” Remus offered. “I wanna ask if we’re one super seer or two seers for the price of one because it’s been killing me,”

“Maybe the original prophecy was off. It’s not like our interpretations are infallible,” Virgil offered.

“That’s the boring answer,” Remus huffed. “Do you think getting prophecies is like a downtime thing or dragons just… chose to send ‘em sometimes?” Remus asked curiously.

“I think it’s the latter, but the former happens sometimes,” Virgil replied. “I’m more curious about the robes. I have found no mentions in the text and nobody’s explained it… you think it’s just a traditional thing? I mean, they’re hella comfy, I ain’t mad at them,” Virgil asked, holding up his arm to look at the sleeve.

“Maybe it’s that they’re hella comfy, and that’s why it’s tradition,” Remus smirked.

“Ah, truly, sometimes the wisdom of our elders is the gift of the present,” Virgil chuckled.

“Boy, I’m triple glad I’m not reading the texts if they read like that,” Remus exhaled in relief.

“They’re… an effort. I think some of it’s a translation error. Some older ones were written in Draconic. Which is a real language that they will use at the ceremony and we will have to learn,” Virgil shuddered. “Some of D’s books are written in it. I think he has copies of originals,”

“Ugh, studying,” Remus groaned and leaned back.

“I mean, it’s studying you have to do to _talk to dragons_ ,” Virgil offered temptingly.

“Okay, well, that’s fine then,” Remus perked up. Virgil laughed pretty hard.

“Son of a bitch, I lost my spot,” Virgil hissed. He sighed. “I’m getting too distracted, anyway. The robe thing is right at sunset, right?” Virgil asked nervously and slid his bookmark in place to close the book.

“Yeah. We can head back to the sanctuary if you want. They might be starting to cook dinner soon. They’re supposed to be having it early today because of the robe thing,” Remus said thoughtfully.

“Ugh,” Virgil held out his tongue. “I can’t even imagine eating without getting sick,”

“I’m not letting you drink on an empty stomach. I will tell D on you,” Remus warned.

“Fine… I’ll try. Dinners are vegetarian anyway, they’re not as hard to stomach,” Virgil huffed.

“I stomach meat just fine,” Remus said dismissively and flipped his knife closed. He was trying to make a little acolyte, but his skill wasn’t really there yet. It was more like a peg in a dress. But Remus was determined to make a killer dragon statue and would not give up practicing. Virgil was checking his map for the way back to the sanctuary.

“I’ve got it, V, you can put that away,” Remus said.

“I… like to know either way,” Virgil mumbled.

“You know, I was joking, but the dragons really add something to the map,” Remus laughed, looking at the dragon illustrations that weren’t there the first day they remembered. Virgil nodded and folded it back up. Remus helped him off the bench and Virgil grabbed his robes and followed Remus back to the sanctuary.

Virgil was quiet through all of dinner and was pacing around their quarters, impatiently waiting for someone to come get them for the ceremony. Or maybe trying to figure out how to run away from it. Remus couldn’t be sure. Remus had tried to reason with him that it was just some decorative thing and they just had to stand there and bow at the signal to receive them. Blackout them had already done the speaking and vows stuff for the milk-thing. But either Virgil wasn’t listening or Remus didn’t understand the real problem since he kept pacing. Remus watched him make another three laps around the table before he couldn’t take it anymore and stood up to go stand in his path. Virgil walked right into him, and Remus grabbed him by the shoulders.

“Hey. Look at me. Whatever it is you’re worried about. I’m here. We’ve got this. We get some robe thing, stand around, and then get drunk. It’s cool. I’ll punch anybody who tries to fuck with you. And they know it. I’m pretty certain I mentioned that last night,” Remus said firmly, looking Virgil right in the eyes.

“I…” Virgil started and trailed off right away, looking to the floor. Remus tilted back up his chin.

“Talk to me,” Remus insisted firmly.

“What if he never wants to see me again,” Virgil mumbled. Oh. _Oh_. Remus pulled Virgil in for a hug, and Virgil weakly reached up and held him back.

“Virge, we gotta work one day at a time, okay?” Remus stroked Virgil’s hair. Virgil shook his head into Remus’s chest and held him harder. Ah. He can’t drop it. “The last thing he said to you was ‘Love you, too, babe,’” Remus reminded him. “I think he wants to see you again. He will probably be mad. But I don’t think he wants to leave you forever,” Remus said softly, trying to console Virgil. But Virgil was already crying. Sometimes people just needed to cry. Remus led them to his bed and sat down, pulling Virgil up with him as he cried into his chest.

He would not lie to himself. He never could. Get deluded, sure, but he knew he missed Remy, too. Missed him like the dickens. But things were just so much easier here for Remus. He hadn’t had that melty or bubbling hallucination in days. He wasn’t getting as suspicious of people. His non-vision related hallucinations were down, too, and he felt like he could deal with them. They were odd things he could easily confirm since Virgil was basically with him 24/7. And since things were easier here, he felt like he could parse things easier. He never really thought Remy would be out of their lives, either. And maybe that part was a delusion. But he was pretty positive he’d see him again. So he didn’t really feel like Remy was actually gone. Virgil’s anxiety, on the other hand,might have already have convinced him of the worst.

Remus’s parents had fucked him up, for sure, but not in the same way Virgil’s did to him. They gave him new fears along with all the things Virgil was already dealing with. And one of the few people who loved and cared for him in the world abandoning him was probably Virgil’s greatest fear. It destroyed him when he realized his parents had abandoned him. Remus wasn’t sure Virgil could come back from Remy abandoning him. And Virgil had been berating himself about it for days. Remus felt like an idiot for not noticing sooner.

He’d been over the moon about being accepted somewhere and thought Virgil felt the same. Virgil did, but he didn’t have the impression that Remy would be with them again, and it must have been eating him up inside. But there really was nothing Remus could do but be here to support Virgil. He didn’t know what Remy was feeling right now. Or if Remy would want to join a dragon hippie cult. And giving Virgil that hope might make it worse if… Maybe they could visit him in town or something after they’re 18 and won’t get brought home anymore. Remus still knew he’d be in their lives. He hoped he knew, anyway.

Virgil’s crying slowed down finally. Remus rubbed slow circles on his back and waited out the sniffling and aftershocks.

“Hey, Vi-vi. I know it’s just a consolation prize, but we kicked ass yesterday and we get rewarded for it today. And you got your proof that you are a seer and that we weren’t just drunk and bullshitting those days we lost. So things are pretty good tonight. And we don’t know for sure yet if they’re going to be good tomorrow. But we’ve got today. Just pretend it’s like a test tomorrow. We’re gonna have fun tonight, stresses and worries be damned. And what happens tomorrow will happen, because we’ve done everything we can,” Remus offered softly. Virgil sniffled and nodded, looking up to Remus shakily.

“I… yeah… you’re right. I wish I could see what he’d say,” Virgil sniffled and rubbed his nose on his sleeve. “It… is kind of like a test. It’s just not one I even thought I’d have to take. But I won’t let D down. Or the dragons. They… we kind of answer to them to now, in a way. I still kind of can’t believe dragons are real,” He chuckled nervously. “I’ve just got to get through today and I can break down all I want later,”

“There he is. Let’s get into clean robes and splash some of that witch-tit-water on your face,” Remus said, releasing Virgil and standing up, offering Virgil a hand. He took it and sniffled one more time and they headed into the bathroom to change. Remus didn’t mind the snotty robes, but probably everybody else would. Sacred robe ceremony and all that.


	17. Remus - A Fancy Ritual

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil and Remus stand around and then take a nap.

The setting sun breaking through the stained glass in the sanctuary gave the room a really ethereal vibe. The candelabrum was lit, too, and the whole room just seemed to glow. There was a platform in front of the fort that Virgil and Remus were standing on and overlooking the room. Well, Remus was. Virgil was looking down. He might have a panic attack if he looked up. There were more people here then Remus had ever seen together at one time in the whole compound. The room was nearly full, and it was a _massive_ room.

Remus kind of wished he could reach out and take Virgil’s hand, but they were positioned very specifically. Remus knew he was feeling stressed since it looked like there were spiders all over the ceiling. He was excited about the whole thing, but the excitement doesn’t mean there weren’t things he was afraid of. Just like Virgil had massive abandonment issues, Remus was afraid of being given up on. Remus was afraid of not meeting their expectations. And some part of him was afraid that none of this was even real. That it was a conspiracy. That it wouldn’t last. That he was having a very lengthy and vivid dream. That he died, and this was some kind of death hallucination. Virgil was here to ground him, but if Virgil was out of the loop or not real himself, he had no way of knowing. Remus just had to trust this was real, despite his fears.

Remus stared ahead solemnly as Damien spoke on in Draconic. There was also some muted chanting from the acolytes that just made him even closer to slipping up and disassociating. But there was a strong spiced smell he could focus on and he carefully felt the inside of his sleeve. It was otherworldly, but this was _his_ otherworld. He took a deep breath of the smell of spices and fire and the cool breeze from the wide-open doors. Virgil was probably doing the same.

He idly wondered if they could whittle a fidget cube. He could probably find a schematic online and give it to one of the master whittlers. They’d be so excited to make something for Virgil. They could stain the wood with blackberries and put a hook on it for Virgil’s belt. But for now, they both just had to try their best to be regal and look calm.

There was a long pause and Damien began the part of the ceremony for people to listen to. He looked very tired and winded already from talking at the dragons. Having to do this ceremony on the same day as the new moon was bullshit. Damien was probably going to blackout. New moon, changes, renewal, new seers. Remus got why they did it. Virgil explained it this morning. But he could tell this was going to kick Damien’s ass. If non-seer acolytes had to do this, they’d probably have to take out the whole group of them. Damien’s ceremony and new moon ritual must have been an event.

“The dragons have chosen two more worthy souls. Two more worthy souls have chosen the dragons in return. The stoles to be bequeathed upon them are a sign of their devotion and connection to the dragons, but also a sign that the dragons have chosen them. They were chosen to see, hear, feel, and listen so that we may better serve the dragons and the world itself. The sun sets on their lives they have lost and the new moon rises to bring them to their new lives among the dragons. We thank their past lives for bringing them here and respect them for who they are and who they will be.

“In a year’s time, they will join me as lords and will lead us in rites and commune with the spirits and dragons themselves to bring us into a new age of understanding and community with the world we were disconnected from so long ago. In a year’s time, we will reward them with the vestments to represent this connection. These stoles are a reminder of that commitment as well as a symbol of deep respect.

“Remus of the _Spirit_. Please step forward,” Damien said very formally. Remus stepped one step forward and bowed as instructed. Damien draped an absthine green silk stole with a black embroidered edge across Remus’s shoulders. “The dragons have chosen the green of the ever-changing spirit for you. This color represents your indomitable will and reckless zeal. You are the pinnacle of spirit may find divine inspiration in anything spirited. And you push the boundaries of what that means into a new realm of understanding for us,” Damien said, beaming with pride. Remus stepped back but kept his bow. He opted to go first so Virgil wouldn’t have to bow as long. Honestly, Remus was afraid Virgil might throw up if he did.

“Virgil of the _Stars_. Please step forward,” Damien stated. Remus glanced over to watch Virgil step forward and bow. He was a little shaky, but Remus was proud of him nonetheless. Damien draped a dark purple silk stole over his shoulders. “The dragons have chosen the deep violet of the night sky for you. The color represents your careful consideration and wide-open eyes. You are the pinnacle of the stars and may find divine inspiration under their light. You shine in the dark night like the stars you represent. We can all find new meaning in the small shimmering lights you reveal with trust and time,” Virgil shook as he stepped back, but he successfully maintained the bow. Damien turned back towards the crowd.

“Please treat our new seers with the respect and heedence their position entails as we continue to guide them in our way of life and they begin to guide us in return,” Damien bowed as well and the acolyte’s chanting got louder. Honestly, all this bowing and the chanting and the heat was making Remus dizzy. The spiders must have been mad at being ignored on the ceiling and he watched a few unreal arachnids with weird tails shift around his feet. When the chanting abruptly stopped, all three raised from their bow.

“We will reconvene for moon high for the celebration of the new moon,” Damien nodded to the crowd, and everyone who attended started to move around and talk. The crowd cleared a path for the three as they headed back to D’s quarters.

Damien flopped on to the bed with a heavy sigh and closed his eyes and Virgil joined him. Remus sat on the bottom of the bed and leaned back.

“You made it, Virge, just one more standing still until drinking and you don’t have to bow as long next time,” Remus offered as Virgil buried his head under Damien’s pillow. Virgil cheered, though dispiritedly, and spun his finger lazily in the air. “How ya holdin’ up, D?” Remus asked after Virgil’s arm dropped like a rock back down to the bed.

“Fantastically,” Damien drawled sardonically. Virgil chuckled, probably from the irony of Damien always calling him out for doing the same thing. But they both knew obvious sarcasm differed from straight-up lying.

“Either of you need me to bug someone for something while you both suffer slash recover?” Remus asked.

“It’s in here. Will you pour me a glass of the Rosemary mead? The ashwagandha for Virgil. Cabinet next to the bookshelf,” Damien grumbled. “You’ll just have to deal with the flavor, Virgil, I can see you shaking. I’m very proud of you,”

“What’s the mead code for you’re not sure if the world is real and there're spiders everywhere,” Remus asked, getting up from the bed. He saw Virgil quickly shift. “No, Virge, I’m okay, I think,” Remus clarified.

“I’m very sorry to say this but it’s the black licorice blend,” Damien mumbled.

“He likes black licorice,” Virgil grumbled back, still getting up to go stand next to Remus, putting a hand on his back and dropping his head against it. Virgil’s sweet. It did already help Remus, honestly. Maybe he should have asked earlier.

“Ugh, I can’t even stand the smell,” Damien hissed. Remus laughed. Remus poured two shot's worth from the appropriate little bottles for each of them. Virgil threw back his right away and made a face. Remus handed Virgil the glass to bring over to Damien while Remus kept his distance to drink the weird dark mead. Virgil passed it off and came back dutifully, tucking himself under Remus’s arm as Remus leaned back on the cabinet. The black licorice flavour was really at the forefront, but there was another weird herbal back end before the sweet smooth honey. Virgil leaned forward to sniff it and made another grimace and stuck out his tongue.

“That’s really… medicinal smelling,” Virgil grumbled and tapped gently on Remus’s back. Remus took another drink and smiled at Virgil. He was tapping out the intro ‘Crazy Train’ by Ozzy Osbourne. Virgil chuckled slightly at his smile. Virgil’s face dropped quickly, though, and he leaned against Remus. Remus wrapped his arm around Virgil’s shoulders affectionately. Virgil needed the hug just as much as Remus needed grounding right now.

Damien very carefully sat up against his four-poster frame and started nursing his drink.

“Well, the bright side is we can help with any other back-to-back rituals after we learn them. You won’t have to do all of it for much longer,” Remus offered in solace. Damien nodded and exhaled slowly.

“Yes, that is wonderful. But I will likely blackout tonight nonetheless, and I do not look forward to it,” Damien hissed.

“Virge ‘n I got ‘cha,” Remus said cheerily.

“I didn’t expect dragon conduit to be such a physically demanding position,” Virgil laughed nervously.

“We should try linking up sometime. There’s never been three, right? We could serious communion action,” Remus suggested and took another drink. It wasn’t the best, but he could get used to it. It assuredly won’t be the last time he needs it.

“Yes… you’re correct that it has never been attempted,” Damien said, sitting up quickly, grabbing his head from the sudden motion, and heading over to his bookshelf. Remus covered his drink with his other hand quickly, accidentally wrapping Virgil’s head up in the crook of his elbow. Virgil laughed and pulled his head out. Damien scanned his shelf, going for a dark brown one with near the bottom with a circular symbol embossed into the spine. He flipped it open, and walked back over to the bed, taking another drink of mead as he sat down.

Remus dropped his arm from covering his drink and Virgil came back to where he was before. Remus wasn’t sure, but he thought Virgil was tapping out ‘I’m not okay (I promise)’ by My Chemical Romance. It was a very Virgil song to pick. Remus finished his drink and placed the glass next to Virgil’s, sweeping him off his feet with a sudden protesting yelp and plopped him down on the bed next to Damien, sandwiching him between the two. Remus couldn’t read this one if he tried, so he just laid back and closed his eyes on the other side of the bed, laying on his side and keeping an arm on Virgil.

“Um, what suddenly had your attention?” Virgil asked Damien.

“Remus’s linking idea. It hasn’t been attempted in quite some time. This journal discusses how it’s done. It’s slightly unclear, but instead of focusing on a question and opening yourself up, it seems to be something about combining energies. I wanted to re-read it. You’re still very early in training, so it would likely take some time. But we all have many years ahead of us to try,” Damien said and finished the rest of his drink and slid the empty glass on to the nightstand.

“Shouldn’t you… I dunno… rest before the next ceremony?” Virgil asked, softly putting a hand on Damien.

“I… yes. I suppose. Being inquisitive and looking into curiosities is an important trait for a seer. But I shouldn’t get carried away. I wouldn’t let you get away with it, at least,” Damien conceded and closed his book and put it down. “It’s getting too dark in here to read, either way,” Damien said, sounding very disappointed. Virgil smiled weakly at him and pulled his arm so Damien would shift to lie down with him. “This bed isn’t exactly designed for three people,” Damien chuckled.

“I can pull V on my lap if you need more room,” Remus smirked. Virgil rolled his eyes and shifted to lay more comfortably down in between them.

“No, it’s fine. It was more a statement,” Damien said dismissively and closed his eyes. Ah, D wasn’t completely innocent about not voicing his wants, either.

“Damien says to cuddle him, V,” Remus laughed and pushed Virgil against Damien. Virgil looked shock, and Damien flushed slightly.

“I-he-” Virgil stammered.

“Um-uh-” Damien mumbled.

“Shh. It’s _nap time_. Take the damn nap,” Remus said and looked at them expectantly. There was a pregnant pause. “Quit being weirdos. They’ll knock before entering, they always do. There’s nobody to be embarrassed to. We’re all tired, let’s a fucking nap,” There was a pause again, but Virgil eventually shrugged and cuddled against Damien, who shifted his arm to let Virgil in. Remus moved a little closer to Virgil to close the gap. Damien had a very satisfied smile. He’d been young when he had started seer training and probably hadn’t had contact in a while. Others weren’t allowed to touch the seers since it could mess with the sight.

Remus got a vibe from Damien, a not into relationships at all kind of vibe, but every human needs contact, and nobody was going to hug their sacred seer. Virgil was an easy first hug in a while. Gentle, careful, and very sensitive to your mood if you get uncomfortable. Remus was more of a bear-hugger. Remy described it as being mauled before. Damien should probably work up to Remus. Remus chuckled and closed his eyes again. He was also a kicker in his sleep sometimes, so Virgil could probably protect him from that. Virgil had been drunk-sharing a bed with Remus for years and knew how to get him to stop in his sleep.

The smell of the wood and the books and the dragon’s blood incense lingering had become pretty calming to Remus. Virgil was safe and comfortable in here. It was probably the only room he was really comfortable in. And when Virgil was comfortable, Remus felt like he could relax. Virgil was on edge near anything that could hurt either of them by any stretch of the definition, like some kind of precognitive magic horse. So if Virgil was safe, so was Remus. Remus put a hand on Virgil’s shoulder and he mumbled, sounding like he was already drifting. He took a deep breath and let the mead do its job and drifted off. 


	18. Virgil - Leave it all Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Look a party to actually party instead of some depressing attempt to escape reality.

The mead… Was like, so good. Virgil wasn’t sure how many glasses in he was when Damien blacked out. Damien was certainly acting loopy and funny after the ceremony, but since Damien stuck close to Virgil he didn’t think anybody but him, and Remus noticed how out of it he was. Remus carried him back. Virgil chased after him and worried over tucking him in. The acolytes were going to take him, but Remus insisted and hefted Damien up into his arms with ease. They acolytes looked kind of impressed, but anybody with eyes could see Remus could throw any single one of them across the room without breaking a sweat. Damien was slightly taller than Remus, but Remus picked him up and carried him in his arms like he was nothing. Virgil was really jealous of how strong Remus was.

Virgil pulled the bottle of allspice mead and a glass out of Damien’s cabinet and placed them there for the morning. He’d probably want it. He also placed a full water skien on the table. Remus must have taken Virgil’s look of jealousy as wanting to be carried because he swooped Virgil up quickly after they were sure Damien was settled in.

“Hey!” Virgil yelped and Remus chuckled heartily and headed towards the door.

“We’d be really tall if you rode on my shoulders,” Remus smirked and pushed the door closed with his hips. Virgil didn’t fully get how Remus got there, but he was on board.

“Yeah, we would!” Virgil grinned. Remus put him down carefully and squatted down low. Virgil’s legs were kind of short to climb up on to him, but that never stopped Virgil from climbing before. Virgil held tight as Remus stood up. “Holy shit! We’re so tall! Wait? How are we gonna get through the doorways?” Virgil asked curiously.

“Strong knees like _ox_ ,” Remus guffawed and opened the door to the hall and bent his knees enough that Virgil could bend down and pass through the doorways.

“Awesome,” Virgil cooed reverently as they stepped back into the sanctuary hall to head back outside to the veranda-thing. Though it wasn’t connected to the sanctuary. Probably because of all the torches. Virgil couldn't remember the word, but things looked cool up here and he forgot to care. Virgil held on to Remus’s head and admired the dragon statue at the entrance from a new angle. The scales and spines along the top of the head were really amazing.

“Duck, nerd,” Remus said as they came to the front door. Virgil stopped staring and ducked down so they could exit.

“What’s our new seer name, now that we’re one giant super seer? I like Vimus. Regil sounds too close to your last name,” Virgil asked curiously and Remus laughed and pat one of his legs he was holding on to balance Virgil.

“I like Vimus,” Remus grinned. “To the mead table!” He announced and took wide steps back to the veranda thing. Holy crap, long legs really got you places fast. Virgil kind of felt like he was jogging. Damien was spindly and tall. He could probably really get going. Not that Virgil could climb Damien like a tree, as he could on Remus. Damien probably wouldn't like that anyway. 

Remus walked across the grass quickly and Virgil held on carefully as Remus freed one arm to pour them new drinks. He passed one up to Virgil, who threw it back and passed it back down. He was a little scared to hold a cup up this high. Remus tilted his head back carefully and downed a cup as well.

“Let’s find the ganja. I bet Ozzy’s dad has it. He was near the eastern pillar before D- I mean- Lord Damien passed out,” Virgil said, pointing. He was so glad it was nighttime and he could think straight and find things again. There was plenty of spirit (and spirits) here, so Remus was probably also kind of wired. But Virgil was literally on top of him, and Virgil wasn’t worried about him getting disconnected.

He _was_ worried about falling. He could crack open his head on these stones. Apparently the garage with the car they take into town was a whole mile out and there wasn’t a doctor here, just an herbalist and a few guys with first-aid training. That would be bad. Plus, he hoped they wouldn’t get a vision because he’d totally blackout and then fall and crack his head- Remus tapped his leg three times.

“Hey, I feel you thinking about bad stuff up there. Cut it out. I found Ozzy’s dad. We’ll get him to roll us one,” Remus said.

“Um, sorry,” Virgil mumbled.

“It’s fine, we’re getting weed,” Remus said cheerily. “Hey Bartholomew, we require a finely rolled masterpiece to ease Virgil’s worrying,”

“Sir Remus and Sir Virgil! Of course. Will you also be partaking, Sir Remus, or just a small one for Sir Virgil?” He asked and pulled out a small leather sack.

“Of course I will be partaking. You are an extremely skilled horticulturist. It’s the best I’ve ever had,” Remus beamed.

“Thank you for the high praise, Sir Remus! We’re still in the process of breeding the right strain for visions that I hope will knock you on your ass in one hit,” Bartholomew smiled and rolled them a joint. It was pretty big for just Virgil, so good ol’ Mew-mew must have been told by Ozzy about Ream’s tolerance. Or maybe he could just size up a joint by looking at someone. Which would be cool.

“That’s a pretty tall order, but I’m happy for the challenge,” Remus laughed.

Virgil leaned against Remus’s head as Remus used both hands to start it. They had to use natural matches here, which was a much bigger pain in the ass than lighters. Virgil could feel Remus’s chest expand under his legs, which was neat. He giggled slightly as Remus passed it up to him and took back a hold of Virgil’s legs. Virgil took a pull while Remus let it out slowly.

“Thanks, Bartholomew!” Remus chirped. “You wanna look at the stars, Virge?” Remus asked.

“Damn right I do,” Virgil exhaled. “Thanks, Mew-mew,” Virgil giggled. Mew-mew looked a little surprised but laughed loudly as they walked off to exit the covered area and into the grass. Remus, with an impressive show of core strength, sat down cross-legged on the grass, and Virgil stepped off him carefully. He passed Remus the joint before stepping in front of him to lay back in the grass with his head in Remus’s lap. Remus leaned back to let Virgil see the stars.

The stars shined brighter and the light from them blurred a little together from all the mead. It was a really amazing view out here. Remus passed him back down the joint, and he took a hit, handing it back to Remus. Remus took what could only be described as a massive hit while Virgil released. Virgil couldn’t help but chuckle and cough out the last of the hit, watching Remus’s cool determination. The drumbeat in the background was kind of mesmerizing. He was pretty he saw somebody going off on a hurdy-gurdy earlier, which was pretty cool.

Remus would probably be more interested in socializing if anyone was closer to their age was here. Only the acolytes were at this party by this time of the night and most of them were mid-twenties or higher. Most of the compound was present for the ceremony part, but they had to push all the younger ones off the bed pretty quickly since moon-high was late and they all woke up early. The acolytes all had to work in the morning, but were either concerned about the kids' health more, or were giant hypocrites. Virgil was really hazy on all the reading he did yesterday, but something about the dragon milk makes you more durable and that’s their excuse for staying out late once a month.

“You’re thinking too much again, take another hit,” Remus said, passing back down the joint. Virgil laughed and took another hit.

“Are you trying to keep my mind wandering too far back to sad stuff?” Virgil chuckled after he exhaled and handed back the joint. He was just starting to get a little fuzzy and Remus’s lap felt really, really nice.

“You got it, hombré,” Remus said before taking another draw. Virgil watched the stars shimmer brightly. “The stars are bright tonight. You gotta do it,” Remus chuckled. Virgil laughed as he exhaled. “’Ey, sorry, take another draw,” Remus said. Virgil nodded and took another and handed it back to Remus.

The whole sky glowed while he exhaled, watching the shining stars. Virgil crawled up into Remus’s lap completely and leaned against him, wanting more warm fuzzy contact. He closed his eyes and felt Remus’s robes between his fingers as Remus took another hit. Nothing mattered to him anymore but being close to someone other than being kind of thirsty. Remus unclipped his water skien and handed it to Virgil, somehow knowing. Remus was too good to Virgil. He gratefully took a few gulps and leaned back into Remus, pressing into his chest. Remus handed back down the mostly killed joint, and Virgil considered it for a moment.

“If I, um, get weird with another hit would you take me to bed? I can cuddle D if you want to come back out,” Virgil asked softly.

“Sure, V,” Remus ruffled Virgil’s hair and Virgil took another hit and passed it back for Remus to finish. Things got hazy. Everything looked soft, and everything smelled so good. Maybe he was just hungry. Virgil crawled off Remus’s lap to a nearby forget-me-not and took two heads and slipped off his shoes. He shifted to sit back in Remus’s lap and felt the grass with his toes while he sucked a little nectar out of the flowers.

“You’re the cutest little weirdo, you know that?” Remus purred and rubbed the back of Virgil’s head. Virgil melted into the feeling and was lost.

-

Virgil woke up a few hours later with a mad need to pee, holding on tight to Damien. He must have gotten weird. He tried to roll off the other way, but he rolled right into Remus. Maybe Remus laid him down, and the bed was too cozy. Beds are the best thing ever stoned. Remus grunted as Virgil pushed his arm off of him so he could crawl down the middle of the bed to use the restroom. It was nearly pitch black in the room, so he definitely rammed into a few things trying to get to D’s bathroom. His night vision was normally very good, but he was still feeling the weed and the mead. The downside of the new moon and no electricity. Virgil managed to succeed though. There was a window that the starlight shined enough into that he could see in the bathroom well enough.

Virgil had no idea where he’d find D’s clothes or if they’d even fit, but he wanted to change into pajama pants instead of sleeping in the robes. It seemed like a great idea to just take his robes off, but then again he was still pretty high and this wasn’t his room. He should probably trust his gut that it was a bad idea, and that was just the weed or the mead talking.

Virgil carefully crawled up the base of the bed back into the spot he was in. Damien hadn’t moved at all, but Remus had shifted. He punched Remus lightly in the shoulder and he mumbled and rolled enough to let Virgil back in and shifted back under the top sheet and against Damien. The contact felt so good, and the bed was so cozy and he snuggled in. The motion made Remus move again, and he rolled over and grabbed on to Virgil. Virgil sighed contentedly and fell back asleep.

-

“D, V, I gotcha some lunch,” Remus called, knocking on the wood bed frame. Virgil shot up, surprised awake by the noise and motion, his brain working hard to figure out where the hell he was. “Breathe, buddy,” Remus reminded him and Virgil took a deep breath. Oh. books and dragon’s blood incense. It was D’s room. Virgil relaxed almost immediately. Damien groaned and rubbed his head. “I can just eat your portion if you want to go back to sleep, D,” Remus grinned while Virgil sat up and stretched.

“I don’t think I could make it to the table if I tried,” Damien groaned.

“I got you a bed tray, don’t worry. You don’t have to get up to eat. I can help ya to the bathroom if you need, though,” Remus offered. Virgil carefully crawled clear of Damien and went to the table.

“Please,” Damien hissed, covering his eyes. Remus got Virgil the kid’s meal instead of the ribs and roasted vegetables, which Virgil was eternally grateful for. He couldn’t stomach ribs if he wanted to. He picked a roasted zucchini slice off one plate, though. Virgil sipped the grape juice and rubbed his eyes, which were pretty foggy. Damien and Remus were gone from the bed, so they must have gone to the bathroom. Virgil would be too embarrassed, but there was nothing that grossed Remus out on the whole planet. Remus could sit next to Virgil on the floor while he was retching into the toilet and be unfazed. If Virgil heard puking noises he got pukey, too. It was a really underrated skill.

Virgil noticed their two stoles carefully draped across the chair next to him. Remus must have remembered to remove them last night, thank goodness. Getting steam to remove wrinkles in those things would be a pain in the ass and Virgil was hungover as balls. They were supposed to take care of the stoles alone instead of being able to just put them in the wash with the rest of the robes. Damien had to take care of his whole vestments himself, so they had that to look forward to.

Virgil started his sandwich when Damien and Remus re-emerged from the bathroom, Remus carrying Damien back into bed. Virgil put down his lunch and gathered up the tray to bring over to Damien. He placed it over Damien’s lap as soon as Remus managed to get him settled sitting up.

“Thank you,” Damien hissed and slowly started to cut up his vegetables. Virgil took his tableware from him quickly and cut them up for him along with the meat off the ribs. He handed back Damien’s tableware with a small smile and headed back to the table for his sandwich and pear. Remus poured Damien a single shot of the allspice mead and walked over to start his lunch as well.

“You want my roasted carrots, V?” Remus asked, pushing the two aside from the rest of his vegetables. Remus absolutely abhorred carrots. His family used to make boiled carrots all the time and he just even hated the thought of them. Virgil nodded and quickly popped one in his mouth. Roasted carrots were good, but Virgil wasn’t a big fan of boiled vegetables either, honestly. The texture was gross.

“So, we both slept through breakfast?” Virgil asked tentatively.

“Asleep like _the dead_. I woke up a little late, but lots of people were late for breakfast this morning. I tried to wake and ask you if you wanted anything, but neither of you even shifted like you even recognized I was there,” Remus explained between mouthfuls of ribs. “You were spacing out while I rubbed the back of your head and when your eyes finally opened to see the stars, you had some kind of seer thing or something and went out like a light,”

“Oh, I thought I got weird,” Virgil rubbed his eyes again.

“Nah, just a cute little cuddle gremlin. You did hiss at a cricket,” Remus laughed and Damien groaned. “Sorry, D,” Remus quieted down and apologized quickly for his volume.

“Do you know what it was? The seer thing, I mean,” Virgil asked curiously.

“You were muttering fast, and I was pretty blasted, so I didn’t hear,” Remus said. “I’m okay to help out today if you guys want to relocate to our room where there're curtains and go back to bed,”

“More than I want to finish eating,” Damien groaned. “I should get some installed, too,” he grumbled. “I don’t normally have to do back-to-back services,”

“Just eat another couple of vegetables and finish your mead and I’ll carry you over,” Remus offered, taking a giant swig of juice.

“You are a blessing,” Damien mumbled and stabbed at his plate tiredly.

“I’ve just got to help them roll out the electronics, right?” Remus asked.

“Yes. I handled most things yesterday in anticipation of this. You may have to settle disputes with the sign-up sheets. The first few days the electronics get back out are our most tremulous times, I think,” Damien mused tiredly and yawned. Boy, he could yawn widely. Wow. That was almost scary. Virgil was pretty certain he unhinged his jaw.

“Can you get me a laptop this evening to contact Remy?” Virgil asked nervously. “I… want to be able to think straight to talk to him,” Virgil added.

“O’course, V. Who’s gonna say no to the cutest new seer? Plus, I can put you on the sheet before it’s even pulled out,” Remus said.

“Oh, keys. For the storage shed. The fake bottom in the top drawer of the drawers next to the mead cabinet,” Damien grumbled. “ _Absolutely_ no using the keys to go on the roof without Virgil,” He added quickly. Virgil tittered quietly.

“ _Fine_ ,” Remus drawled and took another big bite.

“Please take the tray, I can no longer continue,” Damien asked meekly after a moment of quiet eating. Virgil hopped up quickly and took the tray off of him and brought it back over to the table. Remus greedily stabbed at the leftover rib meat. Virgil only managed to take a few bites out of his pear before his eyes got heavy again. Damien was probably in the same boat. Virgil was jealous of Remus’s insane energy levels as a seer of spirit. Virgil took another bite, and a big painful yawn took over his face. Remus picked up his pace at eating, and Virgil blinked slowly while watching Remus eat like a starving demon.

“Alright, back to bed. Go on ahead and change Virgil, I’ll help D out of his vestments and come tuck him in next to you,” Remus offered. Virgil nodded slightly, and another slow blink made him bob. He pointed at the half-eaten pear. “Yes, I’ll finish your pear. No food wasted,” Remus chuckled quietly as he got up to go pull a change of clothes out for Damien. Virgil wobbled as he got up and lamely made his way to the door to head to bed in the darker quarters. 


	19. Virgil - The Truth Comes out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quiet study hour.

Virgil woke up a while later wrapped up in Damien’s arms. He looked around briefly. It was hard to tell, but the dimmed light cracking out from the curtains looked like it was still the afternoon. He’d rather sleep than freak out, and Damien was really warm and his thoughts were still hazy. He settled back in and held on to Damien’s arm flopped over him and went back to sleep.

Something shifted under him, and a groaning noise woke him up this time. Virgil was spooked by being shifted, but quickly recognized Damien’s long arm in his hands and breathed a sigh of relief. Damien yanked his arm free and Virgil shifted off of him so he could rub his face.

“V-Virgil?” Damien moaned beneath his hands.

“Present,” Virgil said, stretching out his arms and yawning.

“Ah, good,” Damien sighed. “I’m… not used to sleeping with someone,”

“I, uh, didn’t cross a line or anything, did I?” Virgil asked nervously.

“No, no,” Damien groaned. “It was comforting. I appreciate it,” He said tiredly, running his hand through his hair. He sighed heavily and Virgil reached to give Damien a hug and ran his fingers along the base of his hair. He exhaled, much less morosely this time.

“I think I’m going to stay up this time. If I sleep too much today, I won’t get any tonight. I’m gonna go take an ice shower,” Virgil yawned.

“Virgil, the warm water bathing can’t be far off from now,” Damien groaned and reached for the water skien, drinking thirstily.

“I, uh, um, no,” Virgil stammered out. He… it wasn’t anybody’s business but Virgil’s. “Are you going to back to sleep or would you like me to grab that journal you were reading yesterday?” Virgil changed the subject.

“I’d like the journal and some allspice mead,” Damien slowly moved to sit up and took another drink from the water skien.

“Sure,” Virgil stretched his legs. He headed to the door and peeked his head out. The hall was empty, so he bolted to Damien’s quarters to grab his stuff without being caught outside in his pajamas. He wasn’t technically allowed to be out of uniform, other than during bathing time and his quarters. He grabbed the bottle and a glass and the journal before quickly bolting back.

Virgil exhaled as he handed Damien the journal and set down the bottle and glass on the nightstand. After pouring Damien a double, he headed to the bathroom to bathe. The witch-tit water was just as harrowing as last time, but he was still not doing the communal thing. The sitting shower with the shower-head thing was new to Virgil. You had to hold a lever on the side to make it spout water, so Virgil assumed it was a water-saving method. The corner was also walled off with tiles instead of a shower door, so it was mostly open on one side, which was kind of unnerving. But it was all better than his other option. Even if they did have a hot bath Virgil could take. Virgil shivered as he pulled on fresh robes. He huffed as he crawled back under the blankets and pressed against Damien for warmth, burying himself in Damien’s body heat.

“I thought you were staying up, Virgil?” Damien asked, sounding amused.

“It’s cold,” Virgil moaned and pulled the blanket over his head, latching on to Damien’s leg and putting his head in his lap.

“Do… they know to look for me in here if I’m needed?” Damien asked after a while of quietly reading while Virgil worked on stopping shivering.

“They love you here, I’m sure somebody asked even if Ream didn’t mention it. But he’s got this. He’s very resourceful. It’s just making sure people don’t argue too much over the shared electronics, right? Remus can be very scary when he wants to. He could just loom menacingly and solve it all without a word,” Virgil yawned, feeling exhausted all over again from the shivering. Virgil slowly crawled out of bed to grab the text he was reading and slid back in, leaning against Damien and opening the pages up. He stared at the page blankly for a bit while his brain calibrated, trying to figure out where he was or if he even remembered the last few pages he read.

“Virgil, you were very well acquainted with the acolyte version of texts last week. I watched you read most of them in here after you blew through the initiate's version. I was under the impression Remus was the one who didn’t read that much, to be honest. You could read my more advanced copy from my quarters if you desired to read further. I thought you wanted these copies as reference materials since you were talking about rewriting some portions for increased comprehension. Is there a reason you don’t want to read advanced copies?” Damien stated plainly.

“You re-read those journals all the time,” Virgil deflected.

“Yes, but I am researching, not reading. I know which books contain what and very rarely reread any texts that aren’t written in Draconian,” Damien said. Virgil sighed and closed his book.

“I-uh- listen. This is really embarrassing,” Virgil grumbled, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head. “You’re not going to… get mad or kick me out or anything?” Virgil asked quietly.

“I would never kick you out, Virgil, I don’t think you’re even capable of doing something so heinous you could no longer serve,” Damien said, aghast.

“And…?” Virgil asked quietly.

“I will try to be understanding,” Damien nodded and slid his bookmark in, closing his book and folding his hands gently on his lap. Man, this guy was poised. Virgil was a bumbling idiot next to him. Virgil opened his mouth a few times to speak, but no noise came out. He huffed and dropped his head, running his hand through his hair. “It’s all right Virgil, it was just a question. You don’t have to answer it,”

“I, uh, probably should explain. You’ve been so cool and… I… we probably should have come out and said it in the first place, but I was so scared and I didn’t want to get in trouble and it’s just so nice here and-” Virgil rambled.

“Virgil, gracious, breathe!” Damien put a hand on Virgil’s shoulder and he gasped. “This isn’t about the water gun incident, is it? I am fine not knowing if it upsets you!” Damien offered.

“What? No. That’s not important. I… Remus shot me with a water gun full of pee after we got blackout drunk. We used to get blackout drunk… a lot. That’s kind of what I’m getting at, really,” Virgil trailed off and started mumbling.

“I can watch and limit the amount of alcohol you are drinking if it concerns you,” Damien offered gently. He touched his hand to Virgil’s face and Virgil calmed down a bit, pressing into Damien’s palm.

“Um, no, I’m not concerned about it. Uh, maybe I should have been. I don’t think it’s a problem anymore. I don’t… I want a drink sometimes, but I don’t feel the need to drink till I forget the world,” Virgil mumbled. “That’s uh, besides the point,” He added quietly.

“I’m completely in the dark, Virgil, light a candle for me, please,” Damien implored him. Virgil sighed and took Damien’s hand from his face and held it nervously.

“I… we… um…” Virgil stammered. “We remember nothing before waking up after the dragon milk ceremony!” Virgil blurted out and wobbled slightly from the stress. He dropped his eyes to the sheets in shame.

“Anything?” Damien asked very curiously.

“We got blackout drunk and wandered in the woods looking for dragon lines and that’s the last thing we remember,” Virgil muttered. There was a pregnant pause where Virgil felt the pit in his stomach grow deeper. He slowly dropped his head, feeling very exhausted and strained.

Virgil jumped when Damien broke out violently laughing, chased by heaving chuckles. He stared wide-eyed at Damien clasping his midsection and laughing wildly, not really sure what to do or how to react. Damien clasped his head, and the laughing died out pretty quickly after that with a small moan and he took a long sip of the allspice mead. “Are you _okay_?” Virgil asked quietly. Damien nodded and smiled.

“Yes, that just hurt my head. You both don’t remember _anything_ about getting here or initiation at all?” Damien asked.

“Um, no,” Virgil mumbled.

“That… is truly amazing. I can’t help but be impressed at your resourcefulness and cunning. And even your intuition for knowing what to say. I never suspected a thing. I don’t think a single person ever did. I apologized if I ever made you feel you couldn’t just admit it to me,” Damien said humorously.

“No, no, it was all me. I… get _worried_. You… aren’t mad?” Virgil asked carefully.

“Of course not, Virgil! I'm entertained, if anything. I believe you that Remus can handle things on his own. If he spent that long only pretending to know what he was doing and managing to do a stellar job, he can figure out the electronics,” Damien laughed. “Seriously, no idea at all?” Virgil shook his head mutely, somewhat unsure of this reaction. He… _really_ thought it would upset Damien. And was afraid they’d get kicked out as fakers.

“Honestly, nothing that was said was strange that morning. The request for dragons to be added to the map was a little odd, but I thought it was something familiar to make you more comfortable. And all the days between then and now… you two are very skilled,” Damien laughed again. Virgil wrung his hands. Well, now he was even less sure how to handle this and could feel his eyes watering up. “Oh, Virgil,” Damien cooed and pulled him in for a hug. Huh. This was the first time Damien has hugged him first. Virgil tentatively hugged him back. Damien always smelled nice, and that relaxed Virgil a little. Damien let go and held Virgil’s shoulders.

“I understand that you are naturally afraid and nervous, Virgil. I can see how you would be scared. You woke up in a dark room with no idea where you were, having lost multiple days of memory. I think anyone would be concerned. Perhaps you had very damaged synapses and the Dragon’s milk caused your recent memory to be lost while it fixed them. It seems like you and Remus might have killed more brain cells than the average person,” Damien laughed and leaned back against the bed frame, letting Virgil go. “Perhaps I _should_ be careful with your alcohol consumption…” Damien added after a moment. Virgil rolled his eyes.

“We’re _fine_ , D, and I actually mean it this time. I’m more like likely to pass out from lookin’ at something and getting a vision than I am to get drunk these days,” Virgil groaned. This he could deal with.

“I don’t know, Virgil. I’ll get to be present for next month’s new moon ceremony, so I’ll be capable of monitoring you next time,” Damien said, sounding like he was considering it.

“Isn’t the equinox next? I’m pretty certain there’s drinking at that,” Virgil said.

“You’re right. You can help me out with the rites and then you’ll be too tired for libations,” Damien smirked and Virgil buried his face in Damien’s shoulder. The door to the quarters opened.

“No,” Virgil whined. “I’m not ready,”

“Need me to punch him, V?” Remus laughed, seeing Virgil whine. Damien sputtered.

“You _would_ _not_ punch me,” Damien insisted, aghast.

“I’d punch _anybody_ Virgil told me to punch,” Remus shrugged and went to sit on the edge of the bed with them. “I’d just go easy on you,”

“Ream, he threatened to make me do the rites so I couldn’t get so drunk,” Virgil whined and crawled over to Remus to grab him. Remus opened his arms and pulled Virgil in.

“You know his brain’s not working that great when the sun’s out, don’t joke with him like that,” Remus chided Damien.

“Virgil just told me that you two lost your memories for 12 days, and I think it’s because you were blackout drunks,” Damien crossed his arms. Virgil flinched and Remus hugged him a little tighter.

“Ah, our terrible dark secret came out,” Remus laughed. “I wasn’t sure it was a big deal, but y’all were really easy to fool and it was fun. 12 days, huh? Do you think you could tell us what happened then some time? Virgil’s been freaking out about it,” Remus added, and Virgil whined again.

“Yes, I could tell you. I imagine Virgil is too embarrassed to let anybody else know?” Damien asked somewhat humorously. The jerk. Virgil nodded violently and went back to hugging Remus.

“Shame. The initiates would probably have more interesting stories,” Damien mused.

“We can just ask them what their favourite dumb thing we did was, individually. We assuredly did dumb things,” Remus laughed and Virgil stiffened slightly. It was true, but he didn’t have to say it. “Go on, kiss and makeup,” Remus said, pushing Virgil towards Damien. Virgil crawled up the bed and went under the covers and went back to cuddling Damien, still kind of mad. Maybe that was better than sad, though.

“I apologize if I sacred you Virgil,” Damien said, patting Virgil’s head. Virgil huffed, but he wasn’t mad anymore either. He was feeling way too needy to stay mad. And it was nice that Damien was letting Virgil cling to him while he couldn’t manage to cling to Remus. There were people out there and he just couldn't take being near anybody else yet.

“I’m just here to check on you. There are still people popping in when they can take a break to sign up. I left it with the Librarian guy,” Remus said.

“Masterson,” Damien provided.

“Great name for a librarian guy,” Virgil mumbled. Damien looked considerate and nodded in agreement.

“Anyway, the worst argument was between Felton and Morgan on who would get to practice at Mario Kart first. I made them run a lap together between the northern site and the sanctuary, and Felton conceded when Morgan beat him back,” Remus chuckled. 

“That was a creative way to make them come to a concord,” Damien nodded respectfully.

“If you’re running you can’t be yellin’,” Remus shrugged. “Also, I’m pretty certain Felton was watching her ass, so that might have helped,”

“Make him take a witch-tit shower,” Virgil suggested right away, glowering.

“It was just a glance, he wasn’t being a creepazoid about it. Morgan projects massive lesbian vibes, I doubt he'd push it,” Remus said.

“Fine, but if he does it again, he gets a witch-tit shower,” Virgil said firmly. Remus nodded with a bright grin.

“A… witch-tit shower?” Damien asked curiously.

“The private shower for when your sight’s too beat to be with other people is ice cold,” Remus said. “Like a witch’s third nipple,”

“That’s… such an old phrase,” Damien said, sounding both baffled and impressed. “You actually use that shower consistently?” He asked, raising an eyebrow to Virgil.

“He’s got issues,” Remus shrugged.

“I’m fine, everyone else has issues!” Virgil shot.

“You’re projecting, Virge,” Remus rolled his eyes.

“I… am at a loss,” Damien said, definitely fully baffled now. Remus shrugged.

“It’s not my tea to spill,” Remus patted Virgil on the legs. “So, need anything? I should probably get back to it,”

“Tea actually would be great,” Virgil mumbled. “I’m freezing,”

“I’ll make some chamomile. You want some, D?” Remus asked, getting up.

“Yes, and I would take half an apple. Would you like the other half, Virgil?” Damien asked with a soft smile. Virgil nodded. 

“Great. If somebody drags me away, I’ll send it with one of the interns and have them knock a weird long pattern,” Remus laughed.

“We don’t have interns, Remus,” Damien rolled his eyes.

“The initiates. They do all the intern-y tasks. The tiny girl with the buns who comes by to check our candles is adorable,” Remus said. Virgil thought they were like interns, too.

“There’s someone that comes to check the candles?” Virgil asked with confusion. He’d never seen her.

“You sleep through her coming by every morning. If I didn’t bring you food, I doubt you’d wake up at all until lunch, and then you’d be bored at 4 am in the dark with nothin’ to do but talk to yourself about conspiracy theories and cryptids,” Remus smirked. Virgil grumbled. They didn’t even have the group chat anymore, so it didn’t feel fair to be made fun of for how he used to pass his time. “Though we could add 2 am to the sign-up sheet and you could use a laptop in the sanctuary and post your theories to Tumblr or something while season of the wind is still going,”

“Out in the sanctuary? That sounds creepy,” Virgil groaned.

“The sanctuary is the only room with electricity and internet cables, Virgil, you don’t have a choice. I’m afraid you’ll have to be all alone in the dark and very open sanctuary with a laptop and your monster theories,” Damien smirked. Virgil huffed and buried his face in Damien’s side.

“Quit being mean to me,” Virgil grumbled into Damien’s side, who giggled slightly.

“We weren’t being mean, V, you’re just feeling sensitive ‘cuz you’re worried. Y’know, lit with some candles, you could make a really killer conspiracy theory show out in the sanctuary at 2 am. It’s always dead quiet out there, and with the robes and the ambiance, it’d be like a whole set,” Remus chuckled.

“Webcams that are built into laptops don’t record well in the dark,” Virgil grumbled. He might have already tried to do that once with Remus’s laptop.

“Well AdSense from Virgil ranting would be a fun way to make money,” Remus laughed loudly. “Why don’t you pick your book back up and try to rest so your brain turns back on,” Remus said, pushing himself off the edge of the bed and standing up. “Me or an intern who will be named Becky regardless of their real name will be back with your tea and apple slices, okay?” Virgil nodded grumpily and buried his face back in Damien’s side. Damien pat his shoulder consolingly and went back to reading. 


	20. Remy - Fucking Lost it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remy's got a decision or two to make.

Remy blearily slipped his whisk-offee. Virgil’s parents dropped off a fresh bottle of shit rum over the weekend, but he couldn’t bring himself to drink it. That was the same brand they had together the last time he’d seen them. So he had dipped into the expensive stuff. One of Virgil’s parents would have taken it by now if they really wanted it. Maybe they were fighting over it or something. But whatever. He was just going to have a couple of shots. Maybe they’d notice Virgil was gone finally. _That’d_ be something.

Remy admired Remus’s giant stompy boots as he rocked his feet back and forth on the coffee table. Remus didn’t need 2 inches of goth rubber platforms. Dude was already six-foot-something. He just liked the aesthetic. Remy could agree that they were amazing. He was actually pretty surprised when Roman agreed to bring them to school for Remy. Roman was kind of suspicious that he was hiding Remus somewhere when Remy asked, but he was pretty certain Patton might have mentioned what they talked about the first time Patton came over. Roman changed his tune pretty quickly the next day, which was sus. Remy would be pissed about Patton breaking the drunk code, but it did save him from dealing with extremely upsetting assumptions and Patton wasn’t even drunk, technically, to break the drunk code.

All those idiots have been fussing over him either way, which was annoying at best. Probably even if Patton didn’t do whatever witchcraft happened last time that made Remy spill the beans. It’s funny how people who rarely talked to him before were suddenly really interested in what he was up to and how he was doing. Remy really only texted with Patton before. Patton was a great guy to go to if you just needed to talk to somebody, though he would freak out so Remy didn’t do it much. He also had medical advice, which was important. Teenager parties almost always got out of hand. Those were basically the only time he talked to Roman. But now he was getting texts from Roman and Logan along with Patton. It kind of pissed him off, even. He mostly only talked with Roman about house parties before now. Now they were almost having conversations at school.

And the Logan kid. They basically never talked unless he deemed to sit with Remy and Virgil at lunch. Now he shoots random wordy texts every other day at Remy. Logan was funny in person, though. He had a bit of a temper on him, which Remy didn’t expect. He came over to Virgil’s just once, probably Patton asked Logan to check on Remy, and played Mario Kart with him. He was bad at it and mad about it. He got that quiet determination Remus got when he played and his insults were amazing. The kid dropped 5 syllable words like skittles.

But he wasn’t Remus or Virgil and when Logan had to leave before his father got home, Remy was so pissed at himself for having fun that he drank too much and woke up from blacking out in Virgil’s bed. He wasn’t sure if the punishment for himself was supposed to be the smell of Virgil, the hangover, or the beating, honestly. Remy was still walking _that one_ off. The whisk-offe helped, though. Virgil’s place was running low on grounds, so he’d have to pester someone to take him to the store for groceries soon.

Patton had joined Remy in getting drunk a second time and actually finished his drink. And Remy didn’t have any kind of ultimatum this time. Which was great, because Remy felt like an absolute asshole for doing that in the harsh light of day. He was kind of glad Patton didn’t finish his drink that night. It was also a good hair of the dog, even though the soda was flat. Patton was an emotional drunk, which wasn’t surprising. The hugs weren’t bad, though Remy was kind of afraid of breaking down again if they went on too long. Remy had been wary of Patton ever since that day, but Patton won’t stop forcing spending time together. Remy was lonely- it’s not like he didn’t appreciate the company on some level- but Patton was no replacement for his best friends. Maybe he _did_ need watching.

Remy was half-watching some hot doctors who fuck all the time show while he scrolled his Instagram. There was a house party tonight. He might consider pestering Roman to take Remy and keep an eye on him. Remy loved the idea of pounding music and wild dancing to drive his thoughts away. But he also didn’t want to drink himself into an emergency room. As tempting as it was. He wasn’t there _yet_. Maybe he needed a change of scenery. He didn’t think any of that would really help, though. Remy was just biding his time, and he didn’t know why he bothered anymore.

Remy took another sip of the extremely nice whisk-offee when some hot doctor insulted some other hot doctor for being bad in bed. He chuckled mildly, though he didn’t really feel it, and kept scrolling. His party friends were having fun, it seemed. It really wasn’t fair that the world moved on without Virgil and Remus. It didn’t feel like Remy’s world moved on, though. Remy was still stuck here in Virgil’s empty house. The whiskey was upgraded, but he was still here. Without them. Without any reason to put up with all the shit he does, other than continuing to get out of bed through sheer spite.

Maybe he should go to that house party. Maybe he could just drink his spite away, too. There was school tomorrow, but he was really running out of the tolerance for putting up with it. There were no crass jokes, no shy smiles in the hall, no playful fighting at lunch. There wasn’t even their dumb group chats where Virgil and Remus would post dumb memes 24/7. Seriously. What Virgil was doing thinking about slender man at 3 am was beyond Remy. It’s like he didn’t want to sleep. Maybe he _didn’t_. Remus sent gross shit all day. He loved gore-or movies and would make absurdist memes out of gruesome screenshots. Remy hated waking up to those the most. But he’d do anything to see some guy trying to force his guts back in with the words ‘my dick’ over the guy’s face and ‘german tuba music’ on the bloody machete of the murderer, at this point.

And that idea kind of shook him. The realization that he was desperate wasn’t new, but it hit hard. Remy took a drink to steady himself and stared down into the cup. He was desperate. He was at bargaining. Patton told him about this. He wasn’t _ready_ to be at bargaining. He wanted to be back in denial. They were coming back for him… right? They had to be. But that… felt empty. He felt empty. Depression was next. But Remy was _already_ depressed. He was depressed before they left. How _the fuck_ was that supposed to work? He’d really rather be back at denial. He wanted to be in denial. It was a loop, _right_? He could loop back. Was being in denial about being not being in denial enough?

Remy got a video chat alert and sighed, answering it. Patton had been video calling him in the evenings that he couldn’t come over to make sure he was okay.

“I’m still alive or _whatever_ , what do you _want_ , Pat?” Remy drawled sourly. The video was pretty dark and grainy, but it looked kind of like… The person in the video broke down crying immediately, sobbing out nonsensical apologies. And then the chair moved. Oh, shit. Remy didn’t go to depression, he just fucking _lost it_.

“Hey Rem,” The chair said, angling the camera up. Holy… was he in denial again? Was he hallucinating? The smaller figure kept blubbering. Remy squinted his eyes. That… he knew those bangs. “Sorry we couldn’t contact you earlier,” The bigger figure said.

“I… I’m hallucinating,” Remy muttered, and the shadowed Remus laughed heavily, holding on to the still continuously sobbing Virgil. It was really hard to make out. The room had the red glow of sunset and the flicker of candles, but it was mostly dark shapes.

“Hey, guys, would somebody give us a lamp or something? You’re not hallucinating, bud. Virgil would be there singing some indie-pop trash for you if you were hallucinating. He’d never,”

“I would for _him_!” Virgil growled between sobs. “Remy, god, I'm _so sorry_ , I-” His voice broke, and he cried into Remus again.

“Thanks,” Remus said, the shot getting lit a little better. It was absolutely Remus and Virgil. Remus was sitting on the floor with Virgil in his lap and they were both in black robes for some reason. “Hey, I know you’re concerned and all, but can you just give us some space? Virge’s got _allota_ feelings, and he’s gonna freak out even worse if people crowd us, okay?” Remus said gently. Was Remus drunk? He’s not gentle with other people. He scares other people for fun.

“O-of course Sir Remus,” a voice off camera stammered. Sir Remus? That lost it theory was just getting stronger.

“Okay, so, while Virgil works breathing,” Remus started tapping a breathing count on Virgil’s shoulder like he used to when Virgil was freaking out. “We’re really sorry. We had no idea this would happen, or there’s _no way_ you wouldn’t be right here with us,”

“And where _the fuck_ is that?” Remy shot angrily.

“We joined a cult,” Remus smirked.

“What?” Remy screamed. “You’re shitting me. You ran off and _joined a cult_?”

“Uh, that hi-end totally kills the audio, but I heard part of that. We’re not shitting you. You know that thing where sometimes we get drunk and switch religions? We did that,” Remus laughed again. “I know you’re glowering at me and all but it’s really nice to see your face, dude,” Remus smiled sweetly.

“I-I can’t believe you fucking _idiots_. Do you need me to come and get you?” Remy asked, exasperated.

“No!” Remus shot suddenly. “No, we’re… we’re good here. It’s really fuckin’ great, Remy. Everybody’s so nice and there’s _real_ hot food every night and people don’t treat us like we’re idiots or dangerous. We… we asked, and we were hoping maybe you would join us, actually,” Remus explained a little sheepishly.

“I miss you so much, Remy,” Virgil hiccuped. “I just want to see you again so bad, I’m so sorry I’m being so selfish after being such an asshole and leaving you all alone with that _bastard_. I’m the absolute worst, I’m so sorry-” Virgil started rambling and Remus hugged him harder and gently scratched the back of Virgil’s head while he broke down crying again.

“You… want me to join a cult?” Remy asked. “You realize how _insane_ that sounds, right?” Remy drawled derisively. This had to be some kind of hallucination, right?

“Okay, you know we’re not fans of that language, so I’m assuming you’re drunk,” Remus said solemnly, though there was a small gleam of humor in his eye.

“You _know it_ , babe,” Remy winked. “Got my ass beat for hanging out here at Virgil’s house and I needed a painkiller,” Virgil sobbed even harder somehow. God damn, he wasn’t sure he’d ever seen Virgil cry that hard. “So, assuming I’m not hallucinating, since, uh, I don’t know if my brain could even conjure an image of you being nice and Virgil sobbing like the world is ending, how the fuck did you join a cult at 3 am in the suburbs?” Remy asked, completely gobsmacked by this entire thing. “Wait, hold up, before you explain, is this like a thing somebody in denial would do? Hallucinate their missing best friends finally calling him after 2 weeks?”

“I can’t speak for everybody, but not for me. Sounds like a pretty complex hallucination for a drunk person, anyway. It’s not the first time we’ve joked about joining a cult, but we can always get someone to come over here and a face you don’t know and your brain wouldn’t come up with could verify it with you. Hey, Felton! Pause the damn game and get over here!”

“But-” A teenage boy voice objected off-screen.

“Are you seriously questioning me right after the ceremony? Because I will give you babysitting duty the next time the weed comes out-” Remus started.

“Fine! I’m sorry, geez,” The voice called. A brown-robed figure stood behind him. “What do you want, Sir Remus?” he groaned.

“Virgil is literally crying in my lap, maybe you need to work on your freaking empathy, man. Tell the guy on the screen your name and tell him you’re real and he’s not hallucinating,” Remus said. The figure squatted down and a kid with mousy brown hair huffed.

“My name’s Felton, you’re not hallucinating, I’m real and you’re interrupting my practice time on rainbow road,” He groaned.

“That’s it, your time goes to Thorn for being an asshole. Thorn!” Remus shouted. “You get the controller! Felton, you can go bitch with Layfaette, she’s moping on the terrace thing about you getting there first. Maybe you’ll remember the freakin’ texts next time,” The kid looked super pissed and huffed off. There was a cheer from another teenaged boy's voice.

“Thanks, Sir Remus! I’ll try to get you extra bacon tomorrow!” The voice said.

“Don’t bribe me for favors, dude, I don’t want to have to turn down bacon,” Remus grunted. Alright, Remy wasn’t quite sure what was happening, but he could agree that he probably wasn’t hallucinating since there’s no way his brain could possibly come up with all this. Another brown-robed boy quickly squatted behind Remus and waved.

“Hi, I’m Thorn and you’re not hallucinating! Sorry that Felton was an ass, he’s usually chill. Is it okay with you if I give Felton my time tomorrow? I don’t want him to fall behind before the tournament,” This Thorn kid asked. What a name.

“Yeah, of course. Don’t tell him till tomorrow though, let him stew in it for a bit. Honestly, if they’re both mad, he might get laid, so he may not care,” Remus said. Thorn laughed and got up, leaving the screen. “Okay, sorry. We just got electricity today, and There’s a lot of people in the sanctuary. Lord Damien’s out of commission and I have to make sure they all play nice. Harmony and shit are important here,” Remus explained.

“Remus, babe, I feel like I’m drowning I’m so confused,” Remy said. He picked up his mug of whisk-offee and examined it closely. Was there something in this whiskey?

“Don’t drown!” Virgil shot suddenly. “Don’t-” Virgil hiccuped again and sniffled.

“Okay, so you know how we were talkin’ about dragons all night?” Remus asked.

“Yeah?” Remy intoned with deep concern. Oh, this isn’t the way _any_ conversation he’d understand started. This might be the first time he's _ever_ regretted getting drunk.

“So we were dowsing for dragon lines. They’re also called Ley lines. You know, like they had and that cool Ghostbusters remake? And, uh, I guess we just followed were some sticks told us to go or something. Virge and I can’t actually remember this part. But we found some Dragon lines. And a dragon cult. That we joined,” Remus explained. Remy didn't feel any less confused, though.

“Remy, if we had any idea we were gonna run off and join a cult that night I swear I would have forced you to come with,” Virgil sniffled. “Are… are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay. It… it looks like you’re in my house, right? You’re getting to eat food and stuff?” Virgil asked, sounding desperate.

“Yeah, I’m eating your food and drinking the good stuff,” Remy smiled, lifting his mug. Virgil gave him a really weak smile.

“I know we don’t deserve this. I know we’ve left you all alone with that… that fucker and you deserve to be mad at us… but… would you want to come? We can get somebody to pick you up the next time they go into town. You don’t _ever_ have to see his face again, and the school classes are laid back and the jobs are all real and not super high pressure and there’s mead every night to chill out with-” Virgil started rambling again and Remus gripped his shoulder.

“ _Hold up_ , babe. Stop right there,” Remy said. He… he was too drunk to process this. He put down his phone and went to go get a cup of water. He downed it and washed his face with cold water in the sink. Remy walked back to the couch and turned off the TV, then picked back up the phone. Virgil was sobbing again, and Remus was rubbing circles on his back.

“Hey, I told you he’d be back. He didn’t hang up, see?” Remus said softly to Virgil. Virgil turned around and smiled sadly.

“Remy!” Virgil choked. “I… I _thought_ -”

“I’m just… _so very drunk_. And I thought you asked me to _join a cult._ And that’s supposed to be a _good thing_ ,” Remy said, blinking in bafflement.

“We did, and it is,” Remus nodded. “Do you want to join us, or what?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only 4 chapters left!  
> [Subscribe to the series](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1687501) if you would like to see more. There's a minific collection and a part II.


	21. Remy - Victory Lap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remy was not unaffected by all the memes over the years.

Remy was over the moon. He just had to get through two days. Two days and he could get to get away from all of this bullshit. Not even two _full_ days. Just today and half of tomorrow. Last night he stayed at his house for the last time. He packed his school bag with some clothes and essentials to stay over at Virgil’s instead of any books or homework. There wasn’t any point to any of that. He left in the morning when the bus should have come and went to stay at Virgil’s instead. His dad probably won’t check Virgil’s place for one overnight. He hadn’t the last 2 times Remy passed out here. He was never going to see that bastard again. He was going to get to see Virgil and Remus again. It was a win-win. 

Remy wasn’t so sure about the whole joining a cult thing. The only time Remy was religious was when he was begging god to let the puking stop over the toilet. Not that Virgil and Remus were religious either. Well, they weren’t before. Remus’s family used to take him to church, but they stopped forcing him to go a long time ago. Remus had a tendency to argue with the priest and sometimes he’d had some really terrible hallucinations during service. So it was even more surprising that Remus of all people liked it there. And he seemed to like it _a lot_. 

Remy unlocked the door and went in, setting the deadbolt and using that bar-thing you put behind a knob so no one could kick down the door. Remus bought Virgil one. It was supposed to help Virgil sleep easier at night. But today it was for if his asshole dad made it to Virgil’s house before he got a ride into town. That way Remy wouldn’t have to deal with him. Virgil said his parents mostly used the door in the garage to enter the house, and they had a clicker and a key that Remy’s dad wouldn’t just be able to kick it in, so it wouldn’t be a big deal to use the bar or lock the deadbolt. 

This was probably the one morning he didn’t feel like sleeping, but he happily went to Virgil’s room and laid down in his bed. It wasn’t a painful reminder anymore. It was Virgil’s, it was soft, and It’s where Remy was sleeping with no fear tonight after eating… just so much food. Everything in the house was his. His parents had one of those hundred dollar bottles of vodka shaped like a skull and there was no way he wasn’t drinking that shit. What were they gonna do? Yell at Virgil? Remy laughed and nestled in Virgil’s pillow. Virgil and Remus tomorrow. Who ran off like assholes. But Virgil cried for a solid 20 minutes, so Remy just didn’t have the heart to yell at him anymore. He could still yell at Remus because wandering into the woods in the middle of the night was absolutely his idea, no questions asked. But Remy got the impression Virge was being hard enough on himself. 

Virgil asked Remy to bring a few things from the house. Virgil’s backpack would be a kind of heavy with all that shit they asked for in it. There weren’t a lot of electronics there since there was some weird rule about only using them during certain times of the year so they wanted to donate theirs, along with wanting some sundries found there. Remy wasn’t so sure about not being allowed to use electronics three-quarters of the year. Remus said he barely missed them and Virgil’s only complaint was he wanted to listen to his music. They didn’t seem to care about the rest. 

Virgil started painting and Remus had been learning to whittle. Remy was kind of impressed they so readily gave him a knife. Remus happily whipped it off his belt to show it off with a wild grin. He was glad people there weren’t judging them for their mental illnesses. Remus seemed to be in some kind of… well, he was able to order around those kids who were barely younger than him and dish out punishments. A position of responsibility? It had been two weeks. Remy couldn’t claim he knew… well, anything about cults, really. That was more Virgil’s domain. But that didn’t seem right, just for… _life_ in general. 

It all seemed too good to be true. What kind of cult takes runaway teens and puts them in positions of authority? And Virgil and Remus being… happy there. Virgil is the most nervous person on the planet, and Remus was the most restless. Remy couldn’t picture them being happy anywhere. But maybe that was because he’d never seen either of them completely unburdened. And Remy got to be, too. Virgil was really clear that if Remy hated it, it wasn’t some trapped in thing. They could take him back into town, and he could return to society. 

But society fucked Remy over, and he didn’t care. He could join a hippie commune or whatever. He didn’t have a plan for his life. He figured he’d just work in a coffee shop until he died young. There weren’t a lot of opportunities for a guy like him in this economy. Colleges wouldn’t exactly be jumping all over a kid with okay grades, no extracurriculars, no money, and a chip on his shoulder. And Remy didn’t feel like going into debt for life over some shitty piece of paper, anyway. He didn’t exactly want to farm potatoes or whatever, either, but there was probably other stuff he could do there. And he wouldn’t have to go into debt or starve or risk being homeless to do it. He didn’t exactly know what Virgil and Remus did, but they seemed happy. Those kids, well, at least that Thorn kid seemed pretty happy. That Felton one would probably be happy if he got some. 

Virgil’s house didn’t feel so empty anymore, he noticed. It wasn’t that Virgil and Remus were with him, though. It was still dead silent and cold. It felt like Remy was actually there in it. That must have been the difference. Remy wasn’t… present for the last two weeks. And he wouldn’t be present tomorrow. The car was electric and had to charge, apparently. They really were hippies. Remy would get over it. He didn’t have to get over it. He sure wanted to, though. He wanted more than anything to get over it, now. Remy’s phone rang. Ah, Patton. 

“Remington, where _are_ you? You didn’t get off the bus!” Patton said, sounding panicked. Wow, how long had he been laying here? 

“Self-care day, babe,” Remy smirked. 

“You didn’t- you’re not-” Patton tried to start. 

“I so did. What, was I gonna stay at dad’s and get my ass beat? Virgil’s bed is much comfier than mine,” Remy drawled. 

“Remy, I don’t think that’s legal,” Patton hissed quietly into the phone. 

“Are you gonna call the cops on me? Virgil wants me here. Are you going to break both my and Virgil’s little hearts?” Remy asked sarcastically. 

“Of course not! I don’t want you to get in trouble! But… will you promise me not to start drinking yet? At least until I can get there after school, so I can… keep an eye on you?” Patton whispered. 

“Sure, babe, that’s chill or whatever floats your boat. I don’t want your boxers all up in a wad all day,” Remy said, checking his nails. He never did paint his fingernails. “I’m gonna take a nap, sleeping at night is for losers,” 

“That’s not very healthy,” Patton chided. 

“Thanks, _dad_ , but I need this, okay? _Self-care_ ,” Remy reminded him. 

“Alright. Fine. If you want, I can invite Roman and Logan and we could play a board game or something,” Patton said timidly. 

“Mm, no, I’ve gotta brush up on my Mario Kart. We can play that. It’s Friday night. Y’all wanna party? I’m cracking out the stuff that doesn’t taste like jet fuel,” Remy said. 

“I- I… um. I know Roman probably wants that. I don’t know if Logan can get away with it,” Patton said, sounding concerned. 

“Break the little nerd out, then. He _needs_ this. The kid’s gonna snap, I swear to god he will. He needs a break! _Self. Care. Day_ ,” Remy reminded him. 

“Alright, I’ll see. Logan will at least come for Mario Kart, he sounds excited about that,” Patton said. 

“Cool. G’night, babe,” Remy smiled. 

“Goodnight, Remy,” Patton said, sounding very concerned. Ugh. All this concern was making him sick. Remy was good now. There wasn’t anything to be concerned about. Well, maybe hating the cult, but, like, Remy put up with an abusive dad for 17 years so he could put up with trying a new hippie lifestyle. And he wasn’t trapped there, unlike he was with his dad. Remy was happy for an out, damnit. Remy tucked himself into the blankets and buried himself into the well-worn sheets and mattress. He could feel the little ditch Virgil slept in, even. It was kind of nice. Remy let himself drift off to sleep to make up for all the sleep he missed last night when he was so incredibly excited to never stay there ever again. 

-

Remy woke up later in the afternoon, feeling ravenous. Remy leaped out of bed and lazily went to the kitchen for some coffee and cereal. Remy pulled open the fridge to grab the milk, and it sloshed a little oddly. He popped it open and took a whiff. Ugh. _Gross_. Okay, maybe not cereal. He thought he saw some toaster strudels the other day, though. Remy successfully hunted them down in the freezer. Chocolate toaster strudels. Score. There were 4 left, so Remy decided to make them all. Waste not, want not. If he needed sugar later, there was still ice cream. 

Oh. My _god_. Alcoholic milkshakes for tonight would be so great. Patton would actually like that. Remy dug around in the alcohol cabinet for some alcoholic Irish cream. There was a bottle in the very back behind the gin. Which, well, never again. That could rot. Not that Gin rots. He had told Patton that he wouldn’t day drink, but it was just some Irish cream in his coffee. It’s like 30 proof. It’s barely alcohol. And the milk had gone bad. He needed creamer, he wasn’t some _caveman_. He added a vague splash and left it on the counter next to the coffeemaker. Remy sat on the couch with his breakfast bounty and watched some show where hot doctors are also hot detectives and they also fuck all the time. Hollywood had a type, it seemed. 

After school came faster than Remy had realized. He didn’t get to skip… ever. Remy had no idea how easy it was to blow a whole day off. There was a knock at the door that distracted Remy from eating the marshmallows out of the cereal and gossipy detective-doctors. Remy paused the TV, got up and checked the peephole. The time was right, but he couldn’t be too sure. He… the school probably didn’t call his dad or anything, but the fear was there. There was the gaggle of boys waiting out the front door. Thank god. He took the bar off the door and unlocked it to let them in, installing everything back once he closed it. Roman and Logan deposited themselves quickly on the couch, and Patton waited in the small front hallway. 

“How’s you’re self-care day going, Remy?” Patton asked hesitantly. 

“Great. Come on, Logan doesn’t have a lot of time, let’s go play Mario Kart so he doesn’t go _feral_ ,” Remy said, pushing Patton towards the living room. He handed out controllers quickly and flopped back down on the couch, loading the game up. “So did you figure out a plan to break Logan out? Because I’m thinking alcoholic milkshakes,” Remy said. Roman cheered excitedly at that. 

“We are all too young to be consuming alcohol, Remington,” Logan said firmly. Remy picked Daisy. Virgil and Remus were about to be very proud. 

“Aren’t you tired of being _nice_? Don’t you just want to go _apeshit_?” Remy asked seriously, leaning in. 

“I- uh…” Logan stammered. Remy laughed, and they picked the track. 

“Seriously, call me Remy. Three syllables are too much for a name,” Remy said, leaning back and shoving another handful of dry cereal in his mouth. 

“Hey, don’t bogard the ‘mallows,” Roman said, reaching for the box. Remy passed it over to Roman, who was lying on his side across two cushions just like Remus always did. Remy shook his head and chuckled. 

“Being a couch hog must be genetic,” He said, snagging the box back from Roman and taking another bite before the track loaded. 

“I have long legs and want to be comfortable! Don’t judge me,” Roman shot, rolling his eyes. 

“I didn’t judge you, I just… made an _observation_. Right, Logan?” Remy drawled. 

“Yes, that was an observation, Roman, though I don’t believe that they have discovered couch tendencies in genetics yet,” Logan said. 

“Oh my god, seriously guys, we _need_ a plan to liquor this kid up,” Remy groaned. 

“I dislike being referred to as a baby goat, Remin… Remy,” Logan caught himself. Ah, good. He was about to be very hypocritical there for a second. Remy didn’t like being named after his dad, either.

“Find, we need a plan to break him out and get this _grown-ass man_ liquored up,” Remy rolled his eyes. 

“If he doesn’t want to drink, then I don’t think you should _force_ him, Remy,” Patton said. 

“I said I’m _sorry_ , alright? You didn’t _actually_ drink that night, so no harm, no foul, right?” Remy said. 

“I didn’t like the pressure,” Patton insisted. 

“It wasn’t pressure, I told you that you could leave. I wasn’t having it that night, okay?” Remy groaned. “I mean you were pressuring _me_ to talk in a situation I wasn’t comfortable talking in,” Remy raised his eyebrow at Patton. Patton looked like he would object, but deflated. 

“Okay, we’ll call it even. No harm, no foul,” Patton conceded a little awkwardly. 

“Remy’s right, I would… I am tired of being nice,” Logan admitted quietly. Roman whooped. 

“I knew it, you repressed nerd!” Roman cheered. “Alcoholic milkshakes!” Roman sang cheerily. 

“Is… is the milkshake going to taste like rubbing alcohol?” Patton asked with concern. 

“It’s gonna be coffee chocolate chip, babe, you’ll only taste a bit of alcohol at the end,” Remy nodded sagely. 

“Oh, that does sound tasty,” Patton mumbled. “Okay. Well, Remy. You sneak around your dad all the time. How do you do it?” 

“I just leave when my dad does and come back before he’s sober. It’s not rocket science,” Remy said, passing the final lap marker in first place. 

“God, you weren’t kidding that he’s unreasonably good at this game,” Roman muttered. 

“You’ve never played with Remus? You’re _brothers_ , for god’s sake. I know you have all the systems Virgil has and more,” Remy grumbled. 

“What does _that_ have to do with anything?” Roman asked, scandalized. 

“Remus is cut-throat at this game. He plays to win. I’m just keeping up with him. You’d know that if you played with him,” Remy said. Roman looked a little hurt, but that was his own bed to lie in. Remy didn’t owe him an apology. “So can you just dodge your dad this evening? Maybe say you’re staying over at Patton’s?” Remy asked. 

“I stayed with Patton recently and haven’t done anything to earn another sleepover,” Logan stated plainly. 

“Ugh, you don’t have to _earn_ fun,” Remy grumbled. “What if you’re staying overnight to study late?” 

“Logan’s dad calls my mom to check in,” Patton supplied. 

“Jesus, dude. Okay, when does he go to bed and wake up?” Remy asked. 

“10 PM and 7 AM,” Logan responded quickly. 

“Early bird, huh? Okay, so we break you out at 11 from your bedroom window and get you back before 6. Or, now stay with me here, he doesn’t know where you are right now and he can’t stop you from staying out. Ask forgiveness instead of permission,” Remy suggested. 

“That… I’ve never… I-” Logan looked like he short-circuited. 

“Hey, they’re _options_. And _one_ of those options lets us start drinking as soon as Patton says it’s okay,” Remy shrugged, winning the race. 


	22. Remy - The Death of the Party Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remy is going to be the best damn host he can be.

Remy was pulsing the chocolate chip ice cream, Irish cream, coffee, and a high dollar clear rum in the blender. Who needs milk when you have Irish cream? He killed the whole bottle making them for 4 people though. He won’t have enough for his coffee in the morning. He’d just have to rely on an ass-ton of sugar tomorrow.

“You’re sure things will be okay if you just… stay here, Logan?” Patton asked carefully.

“My father is not Remy’s- _Sorry Remy_ -” Logan apologized quickly. Remy shrugged. “He’ll be mad and I’ll be grounded, but if I can keep my grades up, I’ll be ungrounded in a few weeks. And they will not slip from spending time with my friends on a Friday night,” Logan said. Remy was happy to host this repressed nerd. It was his last time being a party friend, after all. He would enjoy watching these two non-drinkers meet their drunk selves and make bad choices.

“Alright babes, you’re both not drinker-drinkers, so have a glass of water for every few shots and don’t even start the milkshakes until after your second slice of pizza,” Remy said as he stopped the blender.

“Already had three!” Patton piped up excitedly.

“I am eating the second slice now,” Logan supplied. Remy poured out the last milkshake for himself and took a long, tasty- _tasty_ sip. Roman had already put a decent dent in his, too.

“So what do you guys want to do tonight?” Roman asked, starting another piece of pizza.

“I enjoy Mario Kart,” Logan supplied, making Remy laugh. He was obsessed. Remy hoped Logan’s dad would forgive him quickly and get him a switch or something.

“V’s fine with us doing whatever as long as the cops aren’t called,” Remy said.

“That… can’t be where the bar is,” Logan deadpanned. Remy laughed again.

“And yet _here we are_. I think Remus left a BB gun here,” Remy mused, trying to think of where it is. Probably somewhere in Virgil’s room?

“We are _not_ drinking and playing with firearms, Remy!” Patton shot angrily, glaring at Remy.

“Okay, _okay_ , jeez!” Remy rolled his eyes and held up his hand in defeat. What a worrywart.

“'I never' is always great for parties,” Roman offered, grinning at Remy.

“Yeah, but then you’ll find out all my _dirty little secrets_ ,” Remy said, sipping his milkshake. “I’m not playing,”

“No, let’s do something everyone wants to do,” Patton said.

“Spin the bottle?” Remy smirked. Roman blew a kiss to him flirtatiously, but the other two went beat-red. “I’m kidding, I know you nerds are repressed,” Remy laughed.

“We- I- I’m not repressed!” Patton said. Logan didn’t object, so that was _hilarious_ , and Remy cackled.

“Sure you aren’t babe, _sure_ ,” Remy rolled his eyes. “I think I have already played with Roman at a house party, though,” Remy said, not sure. He was pretty damn drunk.

“Yeah. You’re a good kisser... I mean, I don’t _really_ remember. That was the party that somebody set fire to the pool, right?” Roman said, looking away and rubbing his neck with a little flush.

“Oh, yeah, I remember that part. That was amazing,” Remy laughed.

“You… you’ve kissed before?” Patton hid slightly in his shirt.

“I’m party trash, babe, I’ve kissed lots of people. How are you not more scandalized by the arson?” Remy rolled his eyes.

“I already knew about that, everybody was talking about it the next day. I didn’t know you and Roman were there. I only found out Roman goes to house parties recently. Sometimes I can’t believe people our age are so stupid,” Patton grumbled. “Um, present company _excluded_ ,” Patton muttered, flushing slightly.

“Ooh, babe, _nice save_ , totally _not_ offended here,” Remy said sarcastically. Roman laughed, though. Remy sat down and got another slice of pizza, joining the others eating at the table. “Oh, you know what I’ve always wanted to try? They do this at girl’s parties all the time. Light as a feather, stiff as a board,” Remy smiled. “We can levitate Logan with our minds since he’s certainly a non-believer,” 

“There’s no way that would work,” Logan rolled his eyes and finally took a drink of the milkshake. He sputtered for a moment, but enjoyed the second sip better, looking much more appreciative after that. The first sip of alcohol must suck regardless of the quality of the alcohol? Perhaps it’s a universal constant.

“Let’s do that after we’re more drunk,” Roman suggested. “To help with that suspension of disbelief. We can play Mario Kart until we finish our milkshakes or we get a better idea,” Roman offered.

“Oh, the party negotiator, that’s _hot_ ,” Remy winked.

“Oh, _stop_ ,” Roman joked and flipped his hand at Remy. Patton blushed slightly.

“We’re _playing_ , babe, settle down,” Remy rolled his eyes. “Do you want us to flirt with you, too?” Remy laughed.

“Pat can’t take flirting, he eventually gets all quiet and mumble-y,” Roman offered.

“Ah-ah, sober Pat can’t take play flirting. We don’t know drunk Pat’s whole deal,” Remy said. Patton shook his head. “Not comfortable with it? No problem. More sugar for Roman,” Remy winked and blew Roman a kiss. Roman laughed and took another drink.

“Can we play Mario Kart now?” Logan piped up, sipping his milkshake again. He’d finished his slice and looked antsy. God damn, this nerd was adorable. Who gave him the right? Remy almost hated Logan’s dad a little more for not letting him have more fun. Mario Kart is some family-friendly bullshit- well not the way they played it- and Logan was acting like it’s the coolest thing on the planet. 

“Yeah, let’s go see how many times I can whoop y’all’s asses in one day,” Remy smirked. Roman took a big drink.

“Oh, I’m getting better, I’ll be kicking your tight little butt,” Roman grinned back.

“Oh, _kinky_ ,” Remy laughed and finished his slice quickly.

-

“Alright bitches, we’ve had our fun. Now it’s time to give in to the fate of the cards and meet drunk Pat and drunk Logan officially,” Remy said, motioning dramatically to the card pile on the table. “This sheet of paper has the card meanings. The rules are: obey the cards and drink water. Ro and I will drink for queens because we are. We shouldn’t need too many rounds for the lightweights here,” Remy said. Roman nodded and held up his drink. Logan tentatively drew a card. A 10. “An auspicious start to the evening. Drink, bitches,” Everyone threw back their first drinks obediently. Logan perhaps was more eager than Remy thought he would be. He _knew_ that kid wanted to party. He fucking _called it_.

“Ah, a five. Well, to be fair to everyone should get one shot. But who should get the last one?” Patton said, considering the 5 he just drew way too hard for a drinking game.

“Just pick, Pat, it’s just another drink,” Roman said, picking at some potato chips.

“Give it to me, babe, I’m the most of a drinking veteran,” Remy said.

“Um, Roman,” Patton muttered.

“Gurl, don’t think I won’t go _rogue_. Remus isn’t here to make me stick to the rules,” Remy chuckled the three stiffened at that. “God, you dorks are insufferable, _I’m fine_ ,” Remy rolled his eyes and took the drink doled out to him.

“I can make you stick to the rules,” Roman winked and hit his fist into his palm.

“Oh, gurl, you’re _nasty_. You couldn’t make me follow a _single rule_ if you _tried_ ,” Remy laughed while Roman drew a card 2 and took his drinks. Remy drew a jack and showed it to Logan and Patton with a mischievous smirk. Logan drank again like the world was ending, and Patton drank more tentatively. Logan was already starting to get a tipsy smirk. God bless lightweights.

Logan drew a king, and everybody raised their glasses with a cheer. Logan only was able to drink for a few seconds an and Patton stopped as soon as Logan did. Roman drank until he finished his cup, which was fine for Remy. He put down his cup with a gasp, emptied along with Remy’s. Roman smiled and reached over to the skull vodka bottle and poured a few shots each in their cups while Remy got up to get the soda from the fridge. Remy chucked a can of coke at Roman and sat back down with his orange soda, and they both refilled their cups to the tune of Patton’s grumbling.

“Did… Virgil and Remus like this game a lot?” Patton asked carefully, looking way more concerned than _anyone_ should look while drinking hundred-dollar vodka.

“Nuh-uh, you’re not doing any of your _psychobabble magic_ on me, I’m not falling for it again. I’m here to get _you guys_ drunk,” Remy said, taking a sip of water. Patton drew a card with a sigh.

“Oh _look_ , an ‘I never’. I never drank to avoid my feelings,” Patton said acridly, sporting a dark smile.

“Ouch, babe, _ouch_ ,” Remy said, affronted, and he and Roman took a drink.

“Roman!” Patton hissed.

“Patton, I think you have a fundamental misunderstanding of _why_ people drink,” Roman rolled his eyes and glanced at Remy. Remy nodded. 

“To have fun?” Patton offered hopefully. 

“To have fun because _life is terrible_ , babe. The second part is _important_ ,” Remy drawled.

“Gentleman, please, we’ll be here all night if you argue philosophy,” Logan groaned. “Please draw, Roman,”

“Thank you,” Roman smiled and picked up a card. “Bitches,” he said and flipped the queen back on to the table and Roman and Remy drank. Remy got a 2 and enjoyed that high-dollar vodka in his drink. Logan picked up a card. “Ah. Categorizes. Species of arachnid,” Logan smirked. Oh, this kid is cut-throat, too. Patton shivered.

“I-uh-um,” Patton stammered for a few moments. Logan absolutely knew Patton’s weaknesses and was not afraid of utilizing them. Remy almost wished Logan had come over to drink before. He knew how to party.

“Time’s up babe, you gotta drink,” Remy laughed after a few moments of sputtering. Patton nodded and took a sip, carefully drawing another card. It was an ace, and he groaned, taking another drink. Roman picked up a card, rolling his eyes at Patton.

“Oh, look, sweetie, _another_ queen,” Roman smirked and he and Remy both pounded their drinks a little harder than the technically should of.

“Okay, that’s more than a drink!” Patton said, putting a hand on Remy’s arm. Remy sighed and put down the cup.

“Okay, Pat, you’ve _clearly_ got a problem here,” Remy grunted. “Out with it,”

“I- uh- well… You didn’t come to school today,” Patton said.

“Self-care day,” Remy supplied, motioning with his hand for Patton to get on with it.

“Um, a sudden upturn in mood is an indication of… well,” Patton mumbled.

“He thinks you’re _at-risk_ today,” Roman groaned.

“God, Pat, way to be a party downer. Ro, we get consolation drinks,” Remy said and Roman smirked and took a drink with Remy.

“That’s not how the game works,” Patton hissed.

“There're no rules against extra drinks, Pat, and that was totally a party foul that Roman and I aren’t having, right babe?” Remy said.

“Right. We’re not drunk enough for emotional conversations. It’s against _the code_ ,” Roman supplied. Remy motioned to Roman.

“See! He gets it!” Remy nodded. “I’m fine. I’m doing good. I’ve got a house full of food and a glass of hundred dollar vodka,”

“ _Damn_ , Remy, that’s why this is so smooth? _Shit_ ,” Roman hissed, looking appreciatively at his glass.

“Take the rest of the bottle home. You can pull a hamlet with it,” Remy smirked.

“You’re kidding, right? Won’t Virgil… get in trouble?” Roman said.

“ _How’s_ he gonna get in trouble, exactly?” Remy laughed, shaking his head.

“I mean, when… he gets back,” Roman trailed off slightly.

“Oh, that’s _cute_ ,” Remy drawled sardonically. Patton sighed sadly and flinched slightly. Hmm.

“Um, yeah, sure. I’d love to have a flask of this the next house party with that awful cheap beer. It tastes like piss and I can’t stand it,” Roman said a little awkwardly and Remy picked up a card. “Three,” Remy said and threw back his drink. Patton was watching Remy fearfully, and Remy resisted the urge to just flip Pat off while Logan drew.

“7,” Logan smiled in the same evil way Virgil did when he got a 7. Boy, they really have a lot in common. It’s a shame Virgil will never get to drink with him. Things would probably get intense. Logan immediately put his thumb on the table and Remy was at the ready. Patton looked around in confusion.

“What are you guys-” Patton started trying to ask.

“Drink!” Logan shot proudly, pointing to Patton. Patton sputtered and drank again. He was definitely feeling it because Patton wobbled slightly when he put his cup down.

“Draw, Pat,” Roman smiled and leaned forward on his hands. He was enjoying his. Patton groaned and drew a 6 again.

“I never… uh… went to a house party?” Patton asked, sounding unsure. Roman and Remy clinked plastic cups and drank. Roman pulled out a 5 and smiled.

“Three for me, two for Remy,” Roman said and started drinking.

“Hey!” Patton shot. Roman shrugged while he drank.

“Patton, winning this game is getting drunk and everyone can do it. We’ll stop when we’re done. Settle down before there’s another party foul,” Remy and Roman traded soda cans and mixed new drinks.

-

Remy was laying back on Patton on the couch watching Logan play Mario Kart with Roman. He really wasn’t up to another round, but the thumb master demanded to play after he was sufficiently red in the face. He could be a bossy bitch. It was actually kind of cute. Remy appreciated decisiveness. Remy was pretty used to cuddling someone by this time of the night, and Patton seemed upset, so he laid back with Patton. Patton was pretty happy about the cuddles, but his breathing kept hitching.

“Hey, uh, Pat, are you okay?” Remy asked.

“In… the physical sense or the vague philosophical sense?” Patton asked dreamily. Ah, _alcohol_. What a beauty.

“You… Pat,” Remy said, suddenly realizing the issue. Patton didn’t go home first. They all came with their backpacks. Shit, he was being a bad host.

“What?” Patton asked again in confusion. Remy got up and pulled Patton off the couch.

“Be right back,” Remy said with a wave to the other two, acknowledged with a grunt from Roman, and dragged Patton into Virgil’s room.

“What’s up, kiddo?” Patton asked in confusion. Remy dug through Virgil’s closet for another hoodie. They might not be… oh, Remus had a bomber jacket in here. Perfect. Virgil’s hoodies might have been too tight, but a mountain of a man Remus’s big loose jacket was just right for this.

“Here. Take it off. Put this on. Nobody’ll see,” Remy said, passing Patton the jacket.

“What are you talking about?” Patton asked nervously.

“Pat, you told me while you were drunk last time. I won’t tell anybody,” Remy hissed.

“I- I did?” Patton asked quietly.

“Drunk code,” Remy waved. “I’ll give you your privacy,” Remy said imploringly. “You shouldn’t be doing it while drinking in the first place. I’m sorry I forgot to tell you. I only know because my kinda-friend hurt themselves like that before. I shouldn’t have assumed you’d know. You’re not exactly a party prince. You need your full circulation for alcohol. So pocket it for now,” Remy stepped out of the bedroom and closed the door, standing in front of it. There were some noises of protest from Patton, but eventually, Remy heard shuffling noises through the door and a little grunt of drunk struggle.

Patton re-emerged with a sheepish half-smile, wearing Remus’s jacket zipped up. Remy smiled and nodded, and they headed back out to the couch.

“Pat was chilly,” Remy said as they came back out.

“Oh, hey, I was wondering where that jacket went,” Roman chuckled, though his smile was pretty weak.

“Virgil’s parents keep the house weirdly cold,” Remy explained, shrugging and pulling at Virgil’s hoodie.

“I am feeling rather toasty, myself,” Logan said with a small smile, not looking away from the game.

“Ha! Dad joke!” Patton laughed and eased back down on to the couch.

“Virgil gets hot when he gets drunk, too,” Remy smiled and took a sip of water. “Only ever took off his hoodie when he was drunk,”

“Hey, does that mean we’re drunk enough for this conversation?” Patton asked. Remy flopped back on to the couch dramatically.

“ _Fine_ ,” Remy drawled dramatically. “But I’m having it in _protest_ ,” Remy groaned.

“Are you really okay?” Patton asked, carefully putting a hand on Remy’s shoulder.

“Why _shouldn’t_ I be?” Remy rolled his eyes.

“Virgil and Remus are missing,” Logan supplied quickly, firing a red shell at a very frustrated Roman.

“Yes, _thank you_ , Lo-Lo,” Patton hissed.

“I’m in denial or whatever,” Remy shrugged. “I’m not worried about it anymore,”

“But… last week, I could have sworn...” Patton trailed off.

“It’s a _cycle_ and I reserve my right to go from anger back to denial,” Remy crossed his arms. “I’m sitting with Ro,” Remy grunted and got up, sitting next to the bouncing Roman on the couch while he tried to pass Logan again. Patton huffed from across the couch and crossed his arms.

“And back to anger again, apparently,” Patton grunted.

“Damn right,” Remy grinned, putting his feet up on the coffee table.

“Did… getting Remus’s boots and wearing Virgil’s hoodie help?” Patton asked nervously. “I thought it would, but I wasn’t sure,” Remy rolled his eyes.

“Whatever. I wanna _dance_. Do you care if I put on some dance music, Logan?” Logan shrugged and Remy got up to dig through the CDs next to the stereo. God, this was mostly metal. There was Pray for the Wicked from Panic! at the Disco, though. You could fucking jam to this album. Remy gingerly put the dragon metal CD away in its case and slid it to the side to grab later and put the Panic! CD in. Remus said he wanted it as a decoration. Virgil had all this stuff on his phone, so it’s not like they didn’t have access to the songs.

“Oh, shit!” Roman beamed as Silver Lining started played. “I’ll dance with you Remy,” Roman said, handing off the controller to a confused Patton mid-round as the numbers started to countdown for the race to start. Roman shared a drunk smile with Remy, and they started dancing together.


	23. Remy - Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remy takes care of some things and hungover idiots.

Remy groaned and rubbed his head. There was something heavy on his chest. He looked down and saw Roman cuddling him. He was still a little hazy on last night. He knew he didn’t go overboard with drinking, Patton wouldn’t let him even if he wanted to. But he still needed to double-check he didn’t make out with Roman or anything. He took a deep breath and thought hard. No. No, he didn’t. There probably wasn’t enough room on the couch and Roman was the only one who didn’t care as much about personal space. Remy was pretty relieved. That made sense. He was only missing a few patches from last night and probably didn’t do anything stupid.

Remy pushed at Roman, who grunted and shifted without waking. Remy slipped out of bed to go get some water and maybe catch a shower before the other 3 killed the hot water. He rubbed his face and walked down the hall to see Logan playing Mario Kart on mute while Patton snored on the couch.

“Oh, _god_ , Lo, _please_ tell me you slept last night and didn’t just play Mario Kart,” Remy groaned, leaning against the wall.

“I slept. But I am used to waking up early and got bored waiting for someone to wake up,” Logan supplied.

“Ah. Okay. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen. Milk’s gone bad, though,” Remy said, running his hand through his hair. Logan nodded slightly but didn’t move.

Remy went into the kitchen and got a big cup of water and started the coffee. Somebody already picked up in here, which was considerate. Remy riffled through the pantry for some pop-tarts as the coffee brewed. Virgil wasn’t much of a breakfast eater… or a lunch eater. So there weren’t a lot of options here. Dry cereal, pop tarts, and he had some of those microwave omelets in the freezer, but Remy hated those. A ham and cheese hot pocket was probably close enough to breakfast? Remy popped one in the microwave in lieu of eating pop-tarts. Virgil bought the s’mores ones, and Remy always thought those tasted weirdly morose. They were sad people food, for sure. And Remy was not a sad people today. Though his breakfast was sad.

The coffee smell must have woke up Patton because Remy heard some moaning coming from the couch in the living room.

“You need some water, babe?” Remy asked, hopefully loud enough to hear in the living room, but not too loud for a hangover, while he poured himself a cup.

“Please,” Patton rasped. Remy got a cup for him and handed it down to him on the couch, leaning over the back and watching Logan play. Patton took it slowly and drank the entire cup in one go, finishing it with a gasp. “Thank you so much, Remy,” Patton grunted.

“Hey, make sure this nerd eats, okay? I’m going to go take a shower in a moment,” Remy said, headed back into the kitchen with the empty cup. Ugh, hot pockets and coffee with no creamer. This was dire. Remy was particularly looking forward to brushing his teeth.

Remy came out of the shower feeling very refreshed. There was something about a hot shower the morning after drinking that was just magical. Not as magical as stoned showers. But still amazing.

“Shower’s free,” Remy called and opened the bathroom door while he tried to fix his hair in the foggy mirror. The first one in there was Roman, surprisingly. Remy thought he’d still be asleep. Roman shut the door behind him with Remy still in there and stripped down to shower. Shamelessness must have also been genetic. Roman had a cute mole on his ass that Remus didn’t have. “I’ll hunt you down some of Remus’s clothes. There’s still some here,” Remy offered.

“Thanks,” Roman moaned as the hot water hit him. “God, this water heater does not fuck around,”

“I know, right?” Remy laughed and left the bathroom, and into Virgil’s room.

Remus’s stuff was just sort of mixed in with Virgil’s. There wasn’t a big selection or anything, but Remy managed to find a full outfit for both Roman and Patton. It will be… very weird to see them dressed in all dark colors. There was a hot pink shirt that neither would want to wear, but otherwise, Remus mostly has dark layering stuff piled up here. The clothes he didn’t care much about, anyway. He usually forgot they were here, he liked wearing statement clothes more than anything else. 

It would be even weirder to turn Roman into a Remus clone. Remus’s jeans would be kind of tight on Patton, but he did find a pair of sweatpants that Patton could fit. Remy pulled out some clothes he thought might fit Logan, too. Getting back into sweaty, drunk clothes after a shower was the worst. Plus, they needed to wash the alcohol smell out of his clothes before he went home. Remy dropped off the clothes in the bathroom for Roman and headed into the living room.

“Okay, I’ve got changes of clothes. Logan, you gotta go get in the shower and let me wash your clothes or your dad will never believe you fell asleep studying with Patton and forgot to check in,” Remy ordered. Logan grunted, but he paused the game and took the pile of clothes Remy handed him as Logan passed Remy in the hall. “Pat, I’ve got a change of clothes for you, too. They’re Remus’s so they should fit okay enough, but they’ll be a little big,”

“Thanks,” Patton muttered. “I don’t like hangovers,”

“They’re just part of the charm, babe. I made coffee, it’ll help,” Remy offered. “So will the shower when Ro gets out. Don’t let him hog all the hot water, the tank’s gonna be killed real soon if he doesn’t get out,”

“Oh, poopchute,” Patton mumbled and scrambled to get up, taking the change of clothes while he passed Remy.

Remy grabbed Virgil’s backpack off the living room floor and took it to his bedroom to dump out in the closet where he could kick it all aside. He started packing the things they asked for. Nail polish, sunglasses, cables and headphones. He wrapped Remus’s laptop, found easily on Virgil’s desk, in a hoodie to pad it while it traveled. The switch he’d have to grab after Logan was done. He was pretty certain Logan would bite him if he unplugged it right now. Remy dropped the bag off in the living room after sliding in the dragon CD. Virgil reassured him they had really comfortable clothes there. He was also told they had toiletries, though they were the hippie versions. Remy would have to get used to applying deodorant with his hands.

Remy headed back to the back bathroom and knocked on the door.

“Can I come in and get your clothes?” Remy asked through the door.

“Yes,” Logan called over the shower. Remy cracked the door and reached in for the neatly folded pile on the bathroom counter and left to go gather the others. Roman was in the hall, looking way too much like Remus in the all black. The loose black shirt and the tight jeans looked… kind of wrong on him.

“I know,” Roman groaned and looked somewhat despondent, passing his clothes into the pile he had of Logan’s. Remy must have been making a face or something. Remy huffed at being made to do the chores, but he was the only one who could work the washer. They did clean the kitchen for him, at least. Remy knocked on the door.

“Pat, will you let me know when you’re in the shower so I can get your clothes?” Remy called through the door as Roman wandered down the hall. Remy was met with silence for a bit, but the shower curtain pulled twice and the shower turned on.

“Okay, go ahead,” Patton called. And Remy stepped in quickly to take his clothes and left.

Once the clothes were all in the wash, Remy settled on the couch next to Roman, who was laying back, lazily drinking some coffee and flipping through the choices on Netflix. He was surprisingly settled in for a house he had never been in before yesterday. Remy leaned against him. He was really warm, just like Remus. Remy was pretty tired, and it felt nice. Roman lifted his arm and let Remy slide in. Roman probably thought Remy was Patton or something. Roman wrapped his arm around him and Remy settled in comfortably. He had no idea that hangover cuddles were so nice.

“Babe, can you give me a ride into town, later? I’ve got an errand to run,” Remy asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

“Sure, no problem. I’m not doing anything today,” Roman said, picking another completely different show with hot doctors and drama. How many were there, exactly? Remy was missing out, it seemed. And we would probably continue to. “Where do you need to go?”

“Starbucks, first. I need some coffee that isn’t black,” Remy said. “That one on 31st near the Forever 21 is near where I need to go,”

“Cool. I could use a new pair of jeans,” Roman said. Remy rolled his eyes. Roman probably had his own credit card. They’d never trust Remus enough with that. But whatever. Remus isn’t with them anymore. Remy and Roman were quietly watching the doctors be dramatic and solve crimes- because that’s a totally a thing doctors do- when Logan came out.

“I was playing Mario Kart,” He grumbled angrily, looking pretty pissed off with his glower in Virgil’s all-black ensemble. He makes a _cute_ punk kid.

“Just undock it and play on the switch itself,” Remy waved his hand at the switch.

“Oh. I didn’t know you could do that,” Logan mumbled and dropped his shoulders and the angry expression.

“Just slide the controllers into the sides,” Remy said lazily. Logan walked over and undocked the switch to play. He sat on the floor in front of Roman. Remy could watch his screen from there, which was nice for when they were rambling about DNA evidence.

Patton finally came out maybe half the episode later. He probably wasn’t a fan of the clothes. He looked kind of uncomfortable as he walked out, rubbing his arm. He was wearing the bomber jacket again, too. The hangover was probably too hard to bind during. Patton did look kind of weird in Remus’s clothes, but not quite as odd as Roman. Roman was probably an uncanny valley kind of situation.

Patton shuffled over to the couch and sat down a distance from Remy. Remy shrugged and opened his arms. He may as well offer, even if Patton was feeling uncomfortable. Patton nodded slightly and shifted in, laying on Remy as Remy laid on Roman. They watched the show, or Logan playing, quietly for a little while, attempting to deal with their various hangovers.

Logan was just an angry hangover kind of guy, which wasn’t surprising in the least. Patton was a quiet and shy hangover. Roman seemed disturbingly normal, just like Remus. Maybe kind of tired. Remy was kind of jealous of their good livers and/or dispositions. Remy wasn’t that hungover since Patton kept trying to cut him off. But Remy was a sleepy hangover. And he was in a warm sandwich between Patton and Roman, and might have been drifting a bit. He kept missing who was fucking who and bits of evidence brought up. Remy yawned and checked his phone. He probably should have got up to shift the laundry like 20 minutes ago. Whoops. Remy patted Patton on the shoulder and Patton shifted to let Remy get up to go move the laundry.

After he moved the laundry, he was kind of hungry again. Hangovers need grease. Remy dug around in the freezer. They had killed all the pizzas and Remy ate all the microwave dinners previously. Other than pot pies and garlic bread, there wasn’t much left. They took out most of the at-risk food last night. The freezer stuff would last until Virgil’s parents discovered the empty house. Virgil didn’t buy much food that had quick expiration dates. Remy would leave that milk in the fridge out of spite, though.

“Y’all want delivery while we wait?” Remy asked as he stepped back into the living room with a fresh cup of coffee. Patton had stolen Remy’s spot under Roman’s arm. He wasn’t that surprised about it. Remy wasn’t really their friend, anyway. He was a party friend. He knew how that went. As nice and warm as the pile was, they weren’t actually friends in the light of day.

“Yeah, I’ve got some cash,” Roman said. “I kind of want Indian,”

“With a hangover?” Remy asked incredulously. Patton shook his head and Logan grunted disapproval.

“Fine,” Roman rolled his eyes. “Chinese?”

“Sure,” Remy shrugged, sitting on the couch and googling the nearest Chinese restaurant.

“Okay,” Patton said. “I want lo mein,” He said quietly. “Egg noodle if they have it,”

“Lemongrass chicken Vermicelli, please. I don’t want Chinese,” Logan piped up. Remy searched around and found a place that had more general Asian entrees.

“What do you want, Ro?” He asked, scanning the menu.

“Jalapeño chicken or something like that,” Roman shrugged.

“This place has some curry, though it’s Thai,” Remy offered.

“Yeah, coconut curry chicken then. And some rangoon,” Roman said. Remy kept scanning. Sesame chicken was fried and probably sufficiently greasy enough. He decided to get some egg rolls too, for good measure. Remy called up the restaurant and placed the order. Roman paused it for him so he could order easier, which was nice of him.

“Will you spot me, Ro? I don’t have my wallet,” Patton whispered.

“Sure, hon. You need me to get you too, Lo?” Roman said. Logan nodded. “Remy? I can just cover you. I know you don’t really have lots of spare cash,”

“I’ve got it, it’s fine,” Remy shrugged. He had a hundred bucks. He wasn’t worried about it.

“Do you want to go into town after lunch?” Roman asked, checking his phone. Remy looked at the time.

“Yeah, that sounds great,” Remy said.

“Are you good to drive, Ro?” Patton asked quietly.

“Of course I am, silly. You want a ride home?” Roman asked.

“Yeah… I’m too tired to walk,” Patton groaned.

“I would like to be dropped off on my street,” Logan said. “I should walk to corroborate my story,”

“I don’t know if your dad’s gonna buy your phone dying,” Remy said suspiciously.

“I have an older frayed cable from Roman I can use as evidence. He was hoarding it in his car for some unfathomable reason. It does not work. I have left my phone playing videos overnight to drain the battery, as well. It is confirmedly dead,” Logan said. Roman huffed slightly but smiled.

“You’re a crafty little genius,” Remy chuckled and sipped his sugary coffee. It didn’t make up for the lack of cream, that’s for sure.

They watched in silence for a little while. Remy was antsy to see Virgil and Remus again. Remy’s last hoorah with junk food and parties wasn’t particularly as high-key as he would have liked, but he did get drunk and eat an unreasonable amount of pizza, which were goals of Remy’s. He’d probably be fine by the time he got to see them, which was a bonus of not getting completely trashed and vomiting to loud house music. Maybe it was a good compromise. Remy wasn’t great at compromise, so it was a good start.

Roman laughed at some joke in the show Remy missed. He scrolled his Instagram idly. Remy didn’t care about consuming all the content as much as just biding his time until he could get some grease in him with the coffee to kill the last of his headache and sleepiness.

Though lifting the fog meant that Remy might start thinking about stuff. About Virgil. And that scared him a bit. Maybe it’s one of those ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ things. Except he wasn’t really wishing to kiss Remus. He would kiss Remus, no arguments. He was a cute dude if you liked grunge and had a bad boy thing, and Remy did, but… he wanted to kiss Virgil. He wanted to do lots of things with Virgil, actually. Things he never wanted to do with anybody else. Things he thought he didn’t really want to do with anybody.

Remy liked guys, there was no question he liked guys. Everybody knew he liked guys. He was a born gay. He walked gay and talked gay. Wanted to cuddle and kiss cute guys. But he never really... Well. He liked the idea, in theory. But he never actually… saw people like that. But he was seeing Virgil like that. God, he was already thinking about it. The food better get here soon. He was too hungover to be questioning his sexual identity. 


	24. Remy - Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remy makes his move.

Remy sat with Virgil’s filled backpack in his lap, feeling very nervous. Roman pulled into the parking lot for the shopping center to park to grab some Starbucks. Remy was pretty vague about his errand and he was thankful Roman didn’t ask. He tapped his foot impatiently, looking around a little disquieted.

“You can’t already be having caffeine withdraw, dude. You just had a cup two hours ago,” Roman said with a slightly concerned chuckle, putting his hand on Remy’s shoulder as he turned around to back into the spot.

“I’m coffee powered, what can I say?” Remy shrugged. Roman put the car into park and Remy got out of the car and slid on the backpack. “What do you want to drink? I think I need a latte and a frap,” Remy said. And he meant it.

“Eh, probably just a mocha and a cake,” Roman shrugged. “I need enough pick me up to try on jeans, but I’m mostly fine,” They strolled into the Starbucks and stood in line. He checked his phone for the time and sighed. They wouldn’t be near here yet. Remy probably had time to get some cake, too.

“Cake sounds good. They have the glazed lemon and chocolate, it looks like,” Remy said, leaning slightly to check the display.

“Oh, I’m getting chocolate, for sure. I always crave it when I’m hungover,” Roman said. Remy listened to the music and waited in line, still feeling restless. He needed the cake, too. Comfort food. Roman ordered next. Remus and Virgil wouldn’t be in the car. He knew there was a ride with some unnamed cult weirdo. But it was soon. And he wanted it to be sooner. He needed it to be sooner. He needed a drink. The vodka was buried in a reusable shopping bag in Roman’s trunk. It wouldn’t be a good idea to go out and get it. Caffeine would have to do. Remy placed his order and Roman managed to snag a table with the nice fake leather chairs instead of the uncomfortable hard ones. Remy held the backpack between his legs and sighed.

“Are you sure you’re alright? You’re not usually so…” Roman sort of just motioned to Remy.

“Yeah, I know. I just need a pick me up. I’m pretty tired,” Remy said. He knew this wasn’t how he acted tired and that Roman would know that. It’s not like Roman never saw him at school. But what was he supposed to say? Virgil and Remus finally contacted him? He was having an identity crisis? He was about to run away and join a cult? That he was worried he did actually have a caffeine addiction, and the withdrawal was going to be a bitch? Well, maybe he could say that one.

Roman got up to get their drinks and cakes for them when the names “the prince” and “sleep” were called. That was nice of him. Remy’s legs felt a bit like jelly. Remy gratefully took a long and satisfying sip of his mocha frappuccino. Oh, there was that creamy sugar and that comforting kick. Remy sighed and leaned back.

“God, I think you might have a _problem_ , dude,” Roman laughed as he picked up his plate to eat the cake while it was freshly heated. Remy picked up his slice of lemon loaf and did the same.

“Yeah, I think I do,” Remy chuckled nervously. He had _a lot_ of problems right now.

“How much coffee do you drink, anyway?” Roman asked.

“I don’t know, maybe 3-4 cups a day,” Remy shrugged.

“That’s… _a lot_ of coffee,” Roman said, probably trying not to sound like he was judging. But Remy knew he was. He didn’t particularly care, though. “So what’s your errand today?” He asked, probably trying to change the subject before it got awkward. But it was already there.

“Private,” Remy said dismissively. “You’re going to Forever 21, right? I’ll text you,” Remy said. “So, I’m curious. You and Pat?” Remy asked, trying to distract Roman with gossip. Plus, he was curious. Some fresh gossip could also distract himself during the agonizing wait time.

“Pat’s cuddly with everybody,” Roman said, even more dismissively than Remy did. Hm.

“I know he is. That’s not the question I asked. I’m just wondering if there’s any chemistry there,” Remy said, flipping his hand and eating more cake.

“I don’t know. I like someone else more, but I’m certain they don’t feel the same way about me. I’m not uninterested or anything,” Roman mused. “But I was thinking about taking him out on a date soon, just to see. Maybe get my mind off the other crush at least. I can’t keep pining after them,”

“So you’re into him a bit?” Remy asked, enjoying his latte.

“Um, yeah, maybe,” Roman rubbed the back of his head.

“You should take him out tonight,” Remy said firmly. “Why wait?”

“He’s hungover, Rem, I doubt he wants to do _anything_ ,” Roman said, motioning with his hand.

“We’re young. Go to one of those nice low-light restaurants where you have to dress up nice. I bet he eats that shit up,” Remy said. “How would you feel about not taking him out if he was gone next Monday?”

“Okay, yeah, _I know_. I miss my brother, too,” Roman groaned. “It was nice at first to not be arguing with him, but… you had a point that I could have tried harder to be more supportive. And it’s been kind of eating at me now that he’s been gone so long. I could have been nicer to Virgil, too, as much as his opinions rub me raw. He and Remus were so attached at the hip and I could have at least tried to be nice for Remus’s sake when we were kids. I didn’t… I didn’t really know his home life was like that. I didn’t really realize how much I was hurting Remus, either,” Roman said, sounding pretty upset at himself.

“Yeah, well, some of us just aren’t nice off the bat. We gotta learn that shit,” Remy said, holding out his cup for Roman to bump. Roman bumped it and took a long sip. “It’s always a process, right? We’re always gonna do some new thing to piss off somebody,” Remy said dismissively. Roman shrugged and watched Remy oddly. Remy sort of hoped doing this wouldn’t piss off Roman. It’s not like they knew each other that well. He’d probably get over it, at least. “What about this mysterious cutie you’ve got a crush on? What makes you think they’re into someone else?”

“Oh, it’s a lot of little things. I have a sort of complicated relationship with them. I’d rather treat it like you private errand and not talk about it if that’s okay. It hurts to talk about,” Roman said, dourly fidgeting with the paper from his straw wrapper. He was blushing and everything. Poor guy must have it bad for whoever it is.

“Sorry, babe. You know I love some hot goss. Did you hear that Mitchell’s house party got crashed by the cops? Thank _god_ we weren’t there,” Remy said, changing the subject.

“Shit, really? That’s crazy. I’ve never been more thankful for Mario Kart,” Roman laughed brightly. He seemed to be able to shake it off okay, at least. Remy couldn’t help but cheer for him a little. Roman wasn’t a bad guy or anything. “I kind of wanted to go just to wreck Mitchell’s house, he’s such an ass to Pat,” 

Remy and Roman worked on finishing their sugar feast, sort of chatting about nothing in particular after that. It was a little less awkward after they both finished their cakes and talked about less personal and emotional stuff. They were both probably too hungover to deal with it. Remy probably checked his phone too much for the time, but when it got close, he finished his things quickly. Roman was already mostly done considering he just had one drink.

“You’ll text me when you’re done with your mysterious private errand?” Roman asked a little sarcastically as he got up and brushed the cake crumbs off his pants.

“I’ll text you, hon. Thanks again for the ride,” Remy dropped his sunglasses to wink at him. Roman smiled, and they got up to head outside. Remy watched and waited for Roman to enter the Forever 21 before he went up to the intersection and headed down the street. He was meeting this guy at a flower shop. He was picking up seeds for the hippies. Cult. Whatever.

The bell rang as he stepped inside. The sudden sweet floral smell immediately overwhelmed Remy. He idly walked around, not really looking at the flowers. Just waiting. He was slightly early. Remy accounted for gay walking speed, but he didn’t expect nervousness making him walk faster. He just had to wait a couple of minutes. There was a black flower that caught his eye as he wandered aimlessly. It sort of reminded him of Virgil’s bed head before he dyed his hair. The tag said it was a black dahlia. He… was it cheesy to get a flower for someone you might like? Remy didn’t know much about flowers, but it was black, so Virgil would like it. It had to be cheesy, right? Remy picked up the pot and took it to the register, anyway. If he was going to be a gay disaster, he was going to be a gay disaster.

The bell rang as Remy was checking out the surprisingly expensive flower. Remy turned around and saw a guy about his height with swept brown hair walk into the shop. He was dressed pretty plainly. It probably wasn’t the cult member. Remy stepped aside with his flower when the guy walked up to the counter.

“Hello, I’m here for the bulk order of seeds,” He said with a sweet smile to the cashier. They nodded and went into the back of the shop. Huh. He looked really… normal for a cult member. Maybe Remy was prejudiced or maybe he was just convinced the guy would come into town in those robes he saw people were wearing on camera.

“Um… I’m Remy,” He said nervously to the guy.

“Oh! I was wondering where I’d see you! Let me buy these seeds and we can start the drive back,” He said.

“Okay,” Remy nodded and swallowed. The man was cheery and talked about the weather with the cashier while she rang up the bulk ticket he must have placed earlier. He beamed at the cashier with his bag of seeds as they walked out, Remy following quietly out to the car. He slipped the backpack between his feet in the passenger seat and held the dahlia in his hands carefully.

“Did you purchase that for Sir Virgil?” He asked calmly as he backed out of the lot and pulled on to the street. “He loves flowers. I’ve seen him in the flower garden a few evenings already, talking to them,”

“Um, yeah…” Remy mumbled.

“That’s very nice of you,” He smiled. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I’m Thomas. I’m one of the Acolytes. I manage the flower and herb garden,”

“Um, nice to meet you,” Remy stared down at the flower.

“Is there something wrong?” He asked with concern.

“I think I’m _sick_ of being asked that,” Remy grumbled.

“No, that’s fair. None of my business. Sir Virgil requested some of these seeds, but he and Sir Remus were mostly just very excited about seeing you again,”

“Did they really wander in the woods until they found you?” Remy asked, still somewhat disbelieving of their story. It was completely wild.

“Sir Virgil was dowsing. They were dehydrated and delirious, so it must have been a long way. Sir Virgil had pocketfuls of herbs and berries they collected in the forest. He found boysenberries, which are rare around here. We’ve planted them. It was very… _interesting_ to talk to them while they were coming to after food and water. I was the first one they stumbled into,” Thomas said. “They’re unique individuals with a strong bond,” They really were. Remy nodded and swallowed heavily.

“I don’t suppose you have coffee, there, do you?” Remy asked curiously.

“No, the beans are too temperamental to grow. We have a few strains of tea leaves, however,” Thomas said. Well, at least he wasn’t entirely without caffeine.

“That’s good,” Remy mumbled.

“How long have you known them?” Thomas asked.

“Five years. They sort of adopted me when I moved to town,” Remy muttered. Thomas chuckled.

“I’m not surprised. They have very big hearts despite their darker interests,” Thomas smiled. “We have a little while to go,” He said after Remy didn’t respond. Remy nodded and looked out the window. Every minute was agonizing. He gripped the flower pot tightly, not really intending to, but unable to let go. Even if Virgil wasn’t interested, he’d still get a flower. Remy pulled out his phone.

‘Got a ride home  
Thx for the ride  
Had fun last night’ Remy sent to Roman and put his phone into airplane mode. It wouldn’t be coming back out unless Remy decided to leave. There’s no way his dad would keep paying for it after he found out Remy ran away, so it would be a music and photo box, probably.

It was a little weird to think about that. He could still log in to his Instagram on a laptop, but he probably shouldn’t log in and have his history tracked in case his dad tried to look. He felt really weird, completely dropping his entire life on a dime. On a hope. On… Well, it was better than his dad’s house no matter what happened. Unless he was ritualistically sacrificed, anyway. Buying tons of seeds didn’t mean they _weren’t_ a murder cult. Virgil and Remus could be into that. Well, not really. Virgil’s too sensitive, and Remus was too caring in real life. Remy realized it wasn’t really the cult he was scared of and swallowed heavily.

The drive felt like an eternity. Thomas got the picture that Remy didn’t want to talk, but the minutes ticked by so slowly on the car’s dash, and the trees all blurred together. They eventually pulled down a long grass field, slightly barren in spots from being driven on, but mostly natural. It was a few minutes until three figures in dark robes standing near what looked like a free-standing garage came into view. Remy’s heart leaped into his throat and he felt like he couldn’t breathe. Remus’s massive grin came into view before Virgil’s nervous smile and Remy’s heart felt like it exploded. Holy crap, he needed to cut back on the caffeine. Remy unbuckled his seatbelt before the car fully came to a stop and tried to open the door.

“Woah, _woah_ , almost stopped!” Thomas said when he heard the door handle click. As soon as the car was set in park Remy shoved the Dahlia towards Thomas and jumped out of the car. Virgil was already running at him, and they collided painfully into each other.

“I missed you so much it nearly killed me,” Virgil nearly cried into Remy’s chest and looked up to Remy with shining eyes.

“I missed you, too, babe,” Remy smiled sweetly at him. And there was that look again. And Remy wasn’t missing his chance this time. He went in for the kiss and everything in the world felt right again. And he didn’t care about anything he was worried about anymore. Because here was Virgil, in his arms, kissing him back.

“My goodness, was this whole ordeal about picking up Virgil’s boyfriend?” A very cool and smooth voice asked curiously, though it felt very distant as Remy shared a passionate kiss with Virgil.

“No, this is a new development,” Remus chuckled. Remy opened his eyes and pulled back, and Virgil’s eyes were shining so brightly Remy could swear they were glittering. “It wasn’t unanticipated, but it is new,”

“You bitch,” Remy smirked at him. Virgil let go and Remy walked right into Remus’s arms and hugged him just as tightly as Remus bear-mauled him. Virgil hugged Remy tremulously from the other side.

“I got your things from the car,” Thomas said behind him. Remus let go of Remy and smirked.

“Rem, is that a black dahlia?” Remus asked with a raised eyebrow. Virgil let go and turned around. He gasped when he and then he definitely cried.

“ _Shit_ , um, what did I do?” Remy asked in confusion as he took the flower from Thomas.

“Virgil speaks flower-ese,” Remus laughed.

“Fuck, what does it mean?” Remy asked, heavy with concern. It just reminded him of Virgil!

“It’s a celebration of joining a new religion or trying a new healthy habit, which is pretty accurate,” Remus started with a knowing smirk.

“But it also signifies a lasting bond and commitment between two people,” Virgil chuckled slightly as tears ran down his face and he took the flower. “I know you didn’t _know_ , but-” Remy cut him off with another kiss.

“Shut up, babe, I mean _every petal of it_ ,” Remy smiled at him as he pulled away. The tall guy with the green and gold-hazel eyes coughed slightly.

“Um, Virgil, I wasn’t aware… Well, of the nature of your relationship. There’s a provision that allows Remy to stay without joining us as your paramour, technically. He would be a seer consort. He’d still need a job. We all work if we’re able, but there are acolytes with uninitiated loved ones here. Um, though he would have slightly different standards than them, that is…” The fancy robes dude trailed off awkwardly.

“Hey, you don’t gotta be an initiate if you don’t wanna, Rem!” Remus smiled.

“Could I change my mind and join later?” Remy asked curiously. He did sort of intend to join a cult coming here. He did not intend to make out with Virgil. But he would take the win.

“Of course,” The tall guy smiled. “You will not be allowed to participate in rites otherwise, and I hear you are _fond_ of drinking,” He smirked somewhat sardonically.

“Which one of you _bitches_ called me out?” Remy groaned. He took Virgil’s hand and squeezed it as Remus laughed and put his hand on Remy’s shoulder with one of his signature manic grins. When combined with Virgil’s blush and shy smile, Remy could swear he could feel his heart melt. Remy bent down and kissed Virgil on the cheek while Virgil looked reverently at the flower, and Virgil turned bright red. He could get used to seeing that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We did it, gays, Remy's home safe with Virgil and Remus!  
> Next is "Twelve Days", some shorts from the days that Virgil and Remus lost their memories of. You get some more Damien personality in it and absolute nonsense. After that is "BCE (Before Cult Events)" which is teenage platonic dukesleepxiety nonsense. Some of them are referenced in this story. The Final thing in the series is "Past the Stargazing Season", which is the sequel that deals with the fallout from the events of this story. How the lightsides handle it. How Remy adjusts. Finding out the extents of what the Seers can do. (There's also a set of bios at the end of the series).  
> Click on to the next part of the series and have fun!

**Author's Note:**

> **post² editing done by:[AQUA_Mazing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AQUA_mazing/works)**
> 
> ♪ [Painful Death Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/09VrOYQ6sbkl0uuT8Lna8b?si=0jbWCjbiRWWbxORhZIXH6Q) ♫
> 
> Questions, comments, concerns, incoherent screaming, quotes you just liked, theories, what stupid things you think Remus, Virgil and Remy text each other, and memes all welcome in the comment section below. Even an extra <3 kudos is greatly appreciated! I am emotionally validated by inbox notifications. Also, they help me remember to take notes on stuff I forgot or fix problems in the next chapter, so they help me write!  
> 
> 
> [Story Discord Server](https://discord.gg/ThcDBSP)
> 
> writing/sanders sides tumblr: [@onthevirgeofdestruction](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/onthevirgeofdestruction/)  
> 


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